Prince Naruto?
by Solvdrage
Summary: He was chosen to be their shining beacon. He was to be the rallying point for a scattered and oppressed people! He... wasn't exactly their first choice.
1. Chapter 1

_My dream doesn't exist in the future. My dream lies in the past. That's the only place it exists._

Naruto felt the wind rush by as Kakashi-sensei carried him back to Konoha. Off to the side, he heard his teacher speaking with someone. Naruto couldn't make out many details, but he knew that his friends had all been hurt.

"Guys…" Naruto whispered as he saw the image of Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba and Chōji moving through the trees. They faded away as Naruto lost consciousness once again.

One of the Medic-nin saw the look of utter helplessness on the boy's face. He had always been cautious around the Uzumaki child because of his fear of the Demon Fox sealed within him. Renji was not one of the few zealots who wanted to drive the boy away or harm him. Instead, Renji simply ignored the child. That wasn't an option anymore. He was a Genin of Konoha who, along with several others, had given their all to retrieve a comrade from the forces of the Traitor Sannin. Besides, no demon could look that broken over the news his comrades were seriously wounded.

The gates of Konoha loomed in the distance. The medics and the Elite Jonin were about to breathe a sigh of relief when a hacking cough shattered the stillness of the forest. Kakashi's eyes went wide when he felt blood on his shoulder.

"Naruto!"

The lead Medic, Yasuo, grunted. "Kakashi-san, he has internal bleeding! We have to hurry!"

Sharingan Kakashi ground his teeth. _I have already failed Obito today! I _will not_ fail Minato-sensei as well!

* * *

_

Sakura was practically running through the streets of Konoha. She had heard that Team Shikamaru had returned from their mission. The pink haired kunoichi giggled at the thought of the team, but had complete faith that they would succeed. Shikamaru was a genius in the pure sense of the word. Neji, even if Sakura thought he was a bit stuck up and cruel, was the Hyūga prodigy. Kiba was an accomplished tracker even by the standards of the Inuzuka clan. Chōji was a dependable and strong.

And then there was Naruto. Sakura had never seen Naruto fail at anything since joining Team Seven! There was no doubt in her mind that when Sakura got to the gates that she'd find Naruto and Sasuke-kun arguing over how strong Orochimaru's mind control over the Uchiha actually was!

Sakura smiled happily at the fantasy. It was then she noticed someone else heading for the gates.

"Hey! Hinata!" The shy Hyūga turned around and waved.

"Hello, Sakura-chan. Are you headed to the gates as well?"

Sakura nodded. "Of course! You didn't think I'd let those knuckleheads back into the village without letting them know how worried about them I was!"

Hinata smiled and nodded back. "I… I hope Naruto-kun is alright."

"Hinata…" Sakura paused, momentarily unsure how to approach the subject. "I know you are worried about Naruto, but shouldn't you visit your cousin and teammate?"

"I… The Hospital said they are all still in surgery. I can't visit them yet." _I care for them deeply, but not like I do Naruto-kun_. The Hyūga heiress thought, but did not add to her answer.

Sakura played with a bang. "That makes sense. Come on! I'd feel better with some feminine back up to let those idiots know they can't worry us like this!"

"Ano, Sakura-chan, you aren't planning on hitting them are you?"

"It depends on how injured they are!" Sakura added playfully. She then noticed the look of horror on Hinata's face. "I'm kidding, Hinata."

The other girl relaxed and took off after her fellow kunoichi. Hinata felt the excitement building within her. She was going to be there when Naruto came back from his successful mission! The entire village would finally see Naruto as she saw him! They would acknowledge him as the amazing human being that he truly was!

Sakura and Hinata reached the gates and exchanged expectant grins.

"Kakashi-san! You are nearly out of chakra! Please, let one of us take the patient! If you collapse from exhaustion, you won't be able to help him!"

A pang of worry gripped the two girls.

"No! I lost one student today and **I will not lose another**!" Kakashi's voice and his tone transformed Hinata and Sakura's worry into terror.

The medic nin were the first to pass through the gates. "Renji, go on ahead and inform the Hokage we have another critical case!"

The medic named Renji growled as he pushed his body to the limit. The sight Sakura and Hinata witnessed changed both of their lives. Kakashi was carrying a brutally injured Naruto on his back. The kunoichi saw the boy covered in blood, bruised and worse, there were at least two _holes_ in Naruto's back. Hinata cried out in despair at the state of the boy she loved. Sakura merely collapsed to her knees in wordless agony. They had both noticed that the wounds on Naruto's back bulged outwards. Whatever had done the wounds had actually gone all the way through Naruto's body.

Sakura eventually stopped watching the rapidly disappearing forms of Kakashi, Naruto and the Medic-nins. She turned and watched as Hinata wept into her hands.

_That promise! That damn promise! All it has caused is pain. It hasn't just affected Team Seven. Look at what that… curse has done to Hinata! I… I've nearly taken her cousin, teammate and… and Naruto from her._

Sakura looked away and finally the tears came. _I have to save him, but Naruto _never _goes back on his word. He would never abandon a promise to his friends!_

Suddenly, Haruno Sakura painfully knew what she had to do to save Naruto from his promise. Naruto would have to hate her. It would kill a bit of her soul to drive such a wonderful friend out of her life, but he would live. Sakura looked once more at the inconsolable Hyūga heiress.

_Yes, Naruto will live and maybe, just maybe, find some happiness.

* * *

_

Konoha's Hospital was in a state of near disarray. The 'Uchiha Recovery Mission' had been a failure. None of the staff would dare blame the Genin and their Chunnin leader for the failure. The majority realized that the team of Genin had run into incredibly powerful Jonin-class opponents bolstered by the abominable 'research' of the Snake Sannin. Only a few blamed the members of the recovery team and those dared not voice their concerns. The Godaime Hokage was an adamant supporter of the Recovery Team.

More than that, they were her patients.

Tsuande, Granddaughter of the Shodai Hokage and current Godaime Hokage, exited Akimichi Chōji's Intensive Care Suite. Chōji had taken the Akimichi Chili pill and was suffering its life-threatening side effects. Fortunately, the Akimichi and Nara clans had exceptional research on the effects of the pills and it was a simple procedure to make the antidote.

That was not to say it wasn't an absolutely tense procedure. The good news is that Chōji would survive. Tsunade walked down the hall. She was about to provide assistance to Shizune in Hyūga Neji's operation when the doors at the other end of the hall basically exploded.

"Hokage-sama! We have a critical case inbound! It's the last member of the Uchiha Recovery Team!"

_Naruto!_ Tsunade gasped, but quickly composed herself. "Get Operating Room Three prepped! I want every detail you have! If you leave anything out, I swear I'll kick you to Iwa!"

Renji followed his Hokage and gave her every detail she requested. Operating Room Three had barely been prepped when Hatake Kakashi erupted into the room.

"Please save my student, Hokage-sama." Naruto had barely been placed on the operating table when Kakashi collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

Tsunade ordered one of the Medic-nins to check Kakashi. She turned every ounce of focus she possessed on Naruto. He couldn't die! He couldn't! Naruto was going to be the one to break the curse of that necklace! The blond brat was going to live and become Hokage!

She poured Chakra into her Mystical Palm Technique. "Naruto, please…"

After a terrifying hour, Naruto's breathing stabilized. Tsunade wiped the fatigue and tears from her eyes. For once, she had saved her most precious person. The Godaime Hokage was so thankful that Naruto would survive that she promised herself that she'd let the first 'baa-chan' slide.

* * *

Hinata swayed as she rose from the ground. She had no idea how long she had been crying. The Hyūga heiress knew what had finally ended her tears. Sakura had numbly wandered off muttering about how Naruto had failed _her_.

"I won't see him. I can't see him." Hinata remembered the words of Naruto-kun's teammate.

How could she be so callous? Naruto-kun had risked everything to fulfill his promise to her! Did she only care that Sasuke hadn't come back? Hinata took a calming breath. She was going to the hospital! Naruto-kun and the other members of the Sasuke Retrieval Team needed to know that _someone_ supported them! Civilians and other citizens of Konoha were like wake for the determined Hyūga.

"Hinata!" A voice cried out. Hinata turned her head and saw one of her fellow Rookies rushing towards her.

"Ino-chan are you heading for the hospital?"

The blond kunoichi nodded. "I am. Daddy and Uncle Shikaku mentioned that Chōji and all the others but Naruto are back. They… they said everyone was hurt."

"Everyone is hurt." Hinata felt the tears return. "Naruto-kun and Neji-niisan almost died."

Ino's eyes went wide. "No! I don't want to lose anyone!"

Hinata and Ino ran to the hospital. The receptionist saw them coming and shook her head.

"If you are here for news about the Uchiha…"

"I don't give a damn about the traitor! How are Naruto-kun and the others?" Hinata cried out. Ino gaped at the outburst from the normally reserved girl.

The receptionist gulped. The Hyūga had activated her Byakugan unintentionally. "I… They are in surgery right now. I can't permit entry."

"We have to know if they are ok! Please!" Ino whimpered. This was not a shallow attempt to manipulate the receptionist. She truly wanted to make sure everyone was going to survive.

The receptionist's response was cut off by a crashing sound. Jiraiya was standing at the flapping doors.

"You two, come with me."

Ino took a step back. "Aren't you a pervert?"

"Not right now I'm not. Do you want to see them or not?"

They followed the Sannin without another word. After an uncomfortable silence, Ino decided to speak.

"How bad is it?"

Jiraiya sighed. "You'll have to ask Tsunade for details, but it's not good."

The elevator doors slid open and Hinata rushed out. Jiraiya tried to call out to her, but quickly realized Ino had followed Hinata as well.

The Sannin shook his head. "I shouldn't be surprised."

The Hokage had just finished checking on Namiashi Raidō. It had been a trying day. Tsunade was looking forward to a little bit of sake and a whole lot of sleep.

"Hokage-sama!" A girl's voice cried out. Tsunade had said no visitors! The state of denial over the Uchiha was ridiculous! She decided to turn around and knock whoever it was into next week

"Hokage-sama, is Naruto-kun going to make it? Will the team survive?" Hinata begged.

Tsunade was taken aback. The staff had said most girls had arrived asking if 'Sasuke-kun' was back. The Hokage saw a second girl rush up.

"Are they going to make it? My dad and Uncle Shikaku said Chōji nearly died!"

_Well, this is the first pleasant surprise since the team came back alive._ "I am not going to lie to you. Everyone but Shikamaru and Kiba are currently in critical condition. Naruto-kun and Neji's surgeries were completed only a few minutes ago. They were by far the most severely injured. Chōji is under sedation and recovering from ingesting the Akimichi Chili Pill. Kiba is not in critical condition but has a very deep wound to his stomach and foreign chakra contamination. Shikamaru is under observation for the after effects of a powerful genjutsu and a broken finger."

Hinata and Ino would have gladly traded their Shinobi status for a better prognosis of their friends and family member's conditions.

"If… if we had been there…" Ino could not cry in front of the Hokage!

Hinata had no such reservations. She wept. "We could have helped them! I… I could have saved Naruto-kun from being so hurt. I could have helped Neji-niisan."

Tsunade watched the reaction of the two kunoichi in front of her. She reached into her memory and recalled the information on all of the 'Rookie Nine'. One of her first acts as Hokage had been to look into the allies of Naruto-kun.

_Yamanaka Ino: member of the second generation of the Ino-Shika-Chō, average skills except for very good Chakra Control. _

_Hyūga Hinata: Heiress of the Hyūga Clan, above average skills but abilities doubted by Clan leadership, exceptional Chakra Control._

Despite the situation, a smile began to form on the Sannin's lips. "Do you two believe that?"

"What?" The word escaped each ninja's lips as barely a whisper.

"Do you believe that if you had been there you could have helped the Recovery Team?" Tsunade asked again.

"Absolutely!" Ino shouted.

"I… Yes, I _would _have helped them!" Hinata spoke with a certainty she rarely felt.

Tsunade made her decision. "Good! Both are you will report to me at ten a.m. tomorrow."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Hinata and Ino replied as one.

* * *

Masakyo slipped through the streets of Minatomatsuri, the largest port in the Land of Honey. The man reached a shady alley and ducked into it. Passerbys were curious as to why a well-groomed young man wearing expensive clothing would slink into an alley. He walked quickly to a rusted dumpster and pushed it out of the way. There was a door behind the dumpster and Masakyo knocked out a rhythm.

"Why are you late?" A voice asked.

"I was trapped in a Whirlpool and have only just been reborn."

The door opened and Masakyo smiled at his old friend, Sadao. Sadao was a large man that wore a smile as easily as he wore his heavy brown overcoat. The two walked down the tunnel. Eventually, they came to a second door and entered a surprisingly opulent room.

Each man took his seat. At the head of the table, a woman with dull red hair sat with her fingers steepled.

"Welcome back, Maskyo-san."

Masakyo bowed to the leader. "Michi-san, thank you."

Michi nodded to the assembled conspirators. "I thank you for arriving so quickly. Soon, we shall restore our homeland! For too long have we suffered the indignities of Kumo. We have found a descendant of the Last Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools! Once she publically declares his intent to return, the survivors of our homeland will rally to us!"

The speech was rousing and bolstered the hearts of all who were present. Except for one.

"Michi-san, I… I have ill news." Masakyo groaned.

"What?"

The messenger sighed. "Takako-sama was assassinated by Iwa ninja of the Kamizuru Clan."

A great wail of despair filled the room. Sadao shook his head. "But, we promised our people that we had found a lost royal of the Land of Whirlpools!"

"We still have!" Masakyo quickly added. "There is a distant relative of the Daimyo living in Konohagakure! He is even an Uzumaki!"

"A Uzumaki!" Kenta shouted. Kenta was the last member of the House Samurai of the Daimyo. He was a heavily scarred man. Despite his semi-ronin status, he always carried his sword with pride.

Masakyo nodded vigorously. "He is just a boy but is a full Shinobi of Konoha. I have uncovered a great deal of information on this 'Naruto'."

"So, that is where you have been." Michi growled.

"Of course, Michi-san. Do you think I would arrive at this meeting only bearing news that would undo us? No, I have uncovered a great deal about our 'Prince'. Gold, wine and a bit of coercion can loosen any man's lips."

Noriko chewed her lip. "What information did you discover and how can you be sure it is accurate?"

"I discovered the parentage of this 'Naruto' and more…" The truth of Naruto made Masakyo very nervous. If the full truth was known to the world, it would likely mean a world war. "I can also assure you the information is accurate. My source was the personal secretary of the Land of Fire's Daimyo."

Michi leaned forward. "You sound uneasy."

"Of course I'm uneasy!" Maskyo snapped. "What I am about to say cannot be repeated! Once you learn of this information, you will understand why I can never go back to the Land of Fire. You will understand why I likely have a Sannin out for my blood."

_That_ information silenced everyone. "According to the Daimyo's Secretary, this boy is the secret son of Uzumaki Kushina and… Namikaze Minato."

The air became charged with excitement. This Naruto had exceptional lineage! He would be an even greater rallying point than the Second Cousin Twice removed of the youngest son of the Old Daimyo.

The next bombshell would change everything. "Uzumaki Naruto a Jinchūriki. Of what tailed beast, I do not know."

"A Jinchūriki!" Kenta screamed. Noriko had never heard of a Jinchūriki and was asking the old Samurai why the concept caused such fear.

Michi, the leader of the Movement, sat quietly. "He is the one. Think of the power! Kumo wouldn't dare strike at us with our own Jinchūriki! Also, a child he may be, but he is a Ninja! Naruto could help restart Uzushiogakure!" Everyone noticed the fires of zealotry in Michi's eyes. "Jinchūriki are ostracized for their prisoners! This boy, we could mold him! A simple offer of acceptance would likely win him to our cause! But when we tell him that he is royalty! Oh! He will be putty in our hands!"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Gah, plot ADHD kicked in again. A few things need to be brought up...

1. This is my first Challenge Fic. It is based of Rose Tiger's _Prince Naruto_ challenge.

2. I've been pumping out a ton of work recently, Hyūga's Hound is currently around 2,110 words which is about 1/3 of the expected word count. Brotherhood of an Altered Destiny is also 1/3 complete, Chains of the Kindred is at 50% done, Forward the Windward is around 1/6 done. All in all, I've written nearly 10,000 words in three days! It's been a blast. Heck, New Jedi Order: Shadow of Leviathan and even Enclave (Foul black magic has ripped that story from the underworld) have gotten a bit of love!

3. Oh, and all this is on top of building and painting a new Warhammer 40,000 army: Tau. Plus Graduate School. Sleep is overrated!

Please Read and Review!


	2. Chapter 2

Hinata and Ino arrived at the Hokage's tower ten minutes early. Shizune greeted the Hyūga and Yamanaka heiresses. Hinata saw what she thought was pity in the Hokage's assistant's eyes.

_What am I getting into?_

"Tsunade-sama is eager to meet with all of you." Shizune said as kindly as she could.

Hinata nodded politely. In her mind, she repeated a single mantra. _I'm doing this for Naruto-kun. I'm doing this for Naruto-kun_.

The doors to the Hokage's Office swung open and the Godaime Hokage greeted them. Ino couldn't believe what she saw.

"Forehead?"

Haruno Sakura nodded numbly. "Are you here to ask the Hokage to train you too?"

"Tsunade-sama _asked_ us to be here." Hinata wasn't sure where the bite in her voice came from. She assumed it was because Sakura didn't drop everything to see the Recovery Team.

The Hokage cleared her throat. "I actually wanted you all to be here. Of the youngest generation, you all have the best chakra control. In addition, you have a solid combat base. None of you will be medic-nins. I'm going to turn you all into _combat_ medics. We nearly lost three of Konoha's most promising Shinobi on the attempt to prevent the defection of the Uchiha."

Sakura flinched at the Slug Sannin's words. All present assumed she was still upset over Sasuke's defection. The truth was she felt guilty that the team was mauled. Naruto had called Sasuke a brother and Team Seven his family. The wound of one of her brothers try to murder the other for more power was a deep one.

"This training will be incredibly difficult and strenuous. I will push all of you to the limits of your abilities as Shinobi. The first benchmark will be basic battlefield healing. Once I am confident in your basic healing skills, we will specialize." Tsunade continued apace.

"Specialize, Hokage-sama?" Ino asked nervously.

The Godaime Hokage waved off her blond apprentice. "Don't worry about that yet. I want you all to get the basics of medical ninjutsu down first. Oh, and survive the physical portion of your training."

"Survive?" Hinata gulped. _I'm doing this for Naruto-kun! I'm doing this for Naruto-kun!_

"Oh yes, this will be unlike any training you have every done!"

Shizune sighed at her master and friend's overly cheerful tone. She still had nightmares over the dodging training. At least there would be someone to share her pain now.

* * *

Naruto stirred when the water hit his face. At least, that's what his mind pictured the substance as. The chamber was dimly lit by flickering torches, but as with everything here they were projections. Naruto took a breath and feared it was poisoned. He despised this place. It was illogical, but he hated it. Uzumaki Naruto hated his own mind. No, he hated the creature that resided in his mind.

"**I can feel your hate, you ungrateful insect!**"

Naruto shifted from laying in the murky water to sitting in it. He glared at the object of his hate: The Kyūbi. "Good. Feel all the hate I have for you! You have brought me nothing but pain!"

"**Pain! I am your savior! How many times has my power saved us? In Wave, Haku would have killed you and your 'brother'! Without me, you would be nothing but a smear on the Canyon Floor! The Hyūga Slave would have defeated us easily! The Uchiha and its abominable Sharingan would have killed us both without effort! I graciously allowed you to deeply tap into my power and you still failed to kill him! You could have destroyed him with that final Rasengan! My opinion of you has always been low, but I never counted you as a coward!**"

"I am not a coward! I won't kill my best friend! How could I save Sasuke if I kill him?"

"**Best friend? He despises you! The Sharingan does not believe in friendship or companionship! It exists to reach new levels of power! You are nothing more than a stepping stone to the Mangekyō Sharingan!**"

"Shut up!"

"**NO! You do not give orders to me! I am eternal! I am the hate, rage and betrayals of humanity given a glorious and holy form! I have razed nations! What did I do to deserve being sealed in **_**you?**_**"**

"There is nothing holy about you! And for what you did, how about attacking Konoha? Killing hundreds of people! You stole the Yondaime Hokage from us! He was the greatest of the Hokages!"

Naruto's rant was cut off by a hideous sound. The Kyūbi was laughing. The laughter was a horrible rolling thing that echoed into Naruto's very soul. The demon laughed for several minutes before it died in a satisfied moan. "**I stole far more than a Hokage from you.**"

"What are you talking about? What do you know?" Naruto demanded of the Kyūbi.

The Kyūbi leaned so close to the bars that Naruto could feel the demon's breath. "**I know so much about you! I know every **_**lie**_** the Sandaime Hokage, that whore-monger Jiraiya and 'Grandmother' Tsunade ever told you!**"

"They wouldn't lie to me! They are practically family!"

The Kyūbi chuckled again and Naruto recoiled from the unnatural sound. "**Practically? You truly are blind.**"

"Hey, it's _your_ fault I'm an orphan, fuzzball!"

"**True. But it is ****your**** fault that you are alone.**" Naruto growled at the grinning demon. The human's attempt at threatening the Bijū was highly amusing and the grin widened. "**Well, not entirely, but most humans know not to listen to their inner demons.**"

"I never listen to you!" The Jinchūriki roared in defiance of his prisoner's words.

"**Do you now? Tell me, was it your human 'conscience' that told you not to trust that Old Woman from your hovel? It was I! But, it was ****you**** who rejected her! It was ****you**** who severed that potential bond. It was ****your**** actions that caused her to weep every night until she died that ****you ****wouldn't let her help ****you****."**

"Stop it!" Naruto covered his ears and looked away.

Once again, the Kyūbi laughed. "**You know that will not do you any good, insect. This place is not a physical realm. It is a spiritual and mental one. I am not speaking to your body. I am speaking to your **_**soul**_**."**

"At least I have one!"

"**You fool! All beings have souls! In fact, I am nothing **_**but**_** a soul. I have seen yours. Despite my best efforts you reject me. I dare say you strive to reject everything that we are."**

"Good! I'd never be anything like you!"

The Demon Fox was enjoying this. For the first time in years, it was acting as a demon should. He was slowly wearing his host down. The emotional agony was something to savor. "**Then why did you chase after the power mad Uchiha and its cursed Sharingan? Why do you pine after the selfish harpy?"**

"Sasuke is my friend and Sakura-chan is not selfish!"

"**You use **_**that**_** word again? Can you not see the truth? The Sharingan nearly killed us both so it could hunt down and murder his own kin! The harpy seeks only to fulfill her own emotional needs!**" The Kyūbi knew the direction Naruto would take his words. The demon so enjoyed outmaneuvering his opponents.

"You lie!"

"**Or have I merely told you the partial truth? **

Naruto shook with rage. This thing, this demon, was toying with him. Even from behind the seal it sought ways to bring suffering and misery.

"I hope you rot."

The Kyūbi leered through the bars. "**You know that is not possible. I have no physical form. When your species is a forgotten speck in history, I shall remain. When humanity is nothing more than dust, I will be there, reveling in eternity.**"

"You will forever be alone." Finally, Naruto found the strength to walk away. He could not find the strength to stop the tears. In his heart, he knew the demon had been toying with him. The Jinchūriki knew the Fox had twisted everything it told Naruto to suit its own ends. The Bijū still held many secrets. But it had not lied.

The demon smiled as its host exited this section of his mind. The Kyūbi settled for one final wound. **"And so shall you.**"

* * *

Meihui opened the doors to her father's study. She was glad to see him again, but was curious as to why she had been recalled to the Land of Tea. Was the Movement displeased with her performance in Suna? Surely, they no one could have predicted Orochimaru murdering the Kazekage and taking control of the village!

Meihui shook the thoughts from her head and entered the office. Her father wasn't present, so she decided to take a seat.

"How are you my daughter?" Masakyo entered from the bedroom. Meihui got up and politely greeted her father.

"I am fine. Though, I am confused as to why I have been recalled from Suna."

The spymaster of the Movement smiled. "Your reassignment is not a slight. We need you elsewhere."

"What could be more important than keeping tabs on the power struggle in one of the Kage Villages? The Sabaku Faction is rallying a great deal of support to its cause. The Kazekage's son has galvanized the youth and many of the lower ranking survivors of the invasion to his banner. We could be seeing a power shift in one of the major villages!"

Masakyo motioned for his daughter to listen to him. "We are aware. Your cousin will be taking charge of our network in Suna. There is another mission that requires your talents. I was leading the mission, but I can no longer enter the Land of Fire."

"What happened?" The worry for her father was clear in Meihui's voice.

The spymaster sat down next to his daughter. "As you know, Takao-sama was killed by Iwa-nin. I discovered another relative of the Daimyo in the Fire Country. Unfortunately, there are… details about the child that are state secrets of both the Land of Fire and Konoha. I was forced to flee because one of the Sannin, Jiraiya-sama, has a personal connection to the child."

_Father has become an enemy of a Sannin!_ "What secret could this boy hold that would attract the attention of a Sannin?"

"The information is… sought by many individuals and organizations."

Meihui sat quietly. "Like the Akatsuki?"

"Yes, like the Akatsuki." Masakyo felt uncomfortable mentioning that group.

Meihui looked away. "We never should have hired them for that mission. They killed far too many people."

"You know that was never our decision to make. We are the intelligence branch of the Movement."

The young woman continued to stare into the distance. "You said the possible heir is in Konoha."

"He is. The heir is Uzumaki Naruto. I believe him to be the great grandson of Kōshaku Hirohata Ito."

Masakyo was relieved when his daughter met his eyes. They had nearly fallen out over the hiring of the Jashinist. "You said he was a boy. How young is he?"

"The boy is nearing fourteen, but is a full Shinobi of Konoha. In fact, he took part in the last Chunnin exams."

Meihui instinctively put her hand to her stomach. "That is how old Guowei would have been."

That name sent a pain through Masakyo. Meihui had been pregnant at the very beginning of the Movement. The Land of Lightning's brutal crackdown on the food riots had been the spark that had begun the resistance. Meihui had lost a child and her husband in the attack by the Lightning Daimyo's Levied Forces.

"If this mission brings too much pain, I can have Gao undertake it…"

Meihui ground her teeth at the mention of her 'associate'. "Gao is a cruel and unsubtle man. He lacks the ability to operate in a Shinobi village and would drive this Naruto away from us!"

There was a poignant silence. Meihui stood. "I will prepare for my journey to Konoha. Hopefully, I will leave by the end of the week. I would greatly appreciate your information on the Land of Fire network by tomorrow evening."

Masakyo bid his daughter goodnight. As he watched her leave, he realized how much she looked like her mother. Meihui wore her brown hair in the same style. Masakyo even noted how it swayed from side to side in the same way. He sighed as the door shut.

_My daughter, I pray you do not become too emotionally involved in this mission.

* * *

_

Hinata barely dodged the boulder the Hokage had thrown. They had been training nonstop for five hours. The first hour had been Chakra Control exercises. All three girls had excelled at the first section of Tsunade's test. The next three hours were an introduction to medical ninjutsu.

Hinata, Sakura and Ino had spent the last hour trying to stay alive.

"Excellent dodging! You must use the minimal amount of energy necessary! You are the cornerstone of your team! If you are taken out, the entire team will fall!"

Ino took cover behind a massive tree. She was bruised, exhausted and her cloth wrappings had been torn to shreds. "I'm out of chakra."

Sakura hit the ground and avoided a tree. "I am too. What about you Hinata?"

The Hyūga heiress was on one knee and laboring for breath. "I can barely use my Byakugan."

"That's enough for now!" The Slug Sannin's voice rang out. "We will break for two hours. After your break, meet me in the Hospital library. You all will begin your anatomical studies."

The three weary girls emerged from their hiding places. "Yes, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade turned and returned to the tower and the ever growing pile of paper work. Shizune lingered a moment. "You all did great! None of you got knocked out! I remember being out for an hour on my first day!"

"We're all going to die aren't we?" Ino groaned.

Sakura flopped to the ground. "I think we'll make it. I'm going to eat _food_."

"I want a shower! Then I'm going to check on Chōji." Ino started listing off her plans for the break.

Hinata nodded and allowed Ino to ramble on. "I wonder if the staff will let me visit Naruto-kun and Neji-niisan. Would you like to come with me to visit Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan?"

"I… I can't. It's too soon. It's just too soon." The member of Team Seven wandered off.

Ino shrugged. "It's been a rough few days. I'm sure Forehead will be back to normal soon."

"Naruto-kun needs someone to be there for him." Hinata's focus was on the distant hospital.

The Yamanaka leaned in close to Hinata. "I'm sure you won't mind being _the one_ will you, Hinata?"

"Eep!" Hinata quickly tensed up. "Please don't tease me like that, Ino-chan!"

Ino laughed. "Sorry, sorry. We don't have time to waste here. Tsunade-sama will start chucking trees at us again if we don't take our break."

Despite the fatigue, Hinata laughed along with Ino.

* * *

A cup of tea sat cooling off to the side as Meihui reviewed her father's files. She was grateful for her father's prompt response. Unfortunately, Konoha and the Land of Fire were very thorough in their control of information.

_Or father is hiding something from me_.

The most intriguing information about Naruto was that he was a national hero in Wave Country. Meihui realized the boon having almost immediate recognition for the Revived Whirlpool could be. Uzumaki Naruto also was friendly with two of the Sannin. According to reports, he had been instrumental in convincing Senju Tsunade to accept the title of Hokage. He was an exceptional individual. Every report mentioned he was an outgoing and kind individual.

Naruto was everything Meihui wished Guowei would have grown to be. She shook off those thoughts. This was a mission! She hadn't even met the heir, the prince, and she was becoming emotionally invested!

"You seem troubled, young lady." The sudden voice startled the woman.

Meihui looked up with a start and relaxed when she realized it was Kenta. "The possible Prince just brought up memories of Guowei."

"I am sorry. Michi-san sent me to find you." Kenta said from the doorway.

The spy narrowed her eyes. "What does Michi require?"

"Nothing, I requested and received permission to accompany you to Konoha." The old Samurai strode into the room.

Meihui adjusted a strand of hair. "We will need to work on a cover story."

"It's why I'm here." The Samurai accepted the offered seat. "Gao is angry that you received the assignment."

The widow glared. "Goa should be thankful the Movement is in need of spies. His methods are crude. There is not artistry to his networks. He is a cruel, spiteful little man."

"The Movement does not need such divisions. Have you ever considered forgiving him?"

"Forgive him!" Meihui shot out of the chair. "How can I forgive him? I would cut out my own tongue before I forgive the man who made jokes about losing my precious Guowei!"

"My apologies, Meihui-san. I was unaware of the source of the enmity between you and Gao."

The woman calmed down. "It is alright, you meant no disrespect. I am suddenly hungry. We can discuss our cover stories over a warm meal."

"You would make an old man walk across the entire world?"

The woman smiled for the first time since Kenta arrived. "You are not so old, Samurai."

* * *

He had been staring at the ceiling for an hour. The majority of that time had been a desperate attempt to confirm that he was actually awake. Naruto had spent the last few minutes praying that what he had experienced had been a nightmare. Nightmares disappeared when you woke up. The Kyūbi was always with him.

"I don't think I'm dead." Naruto croaked. His throat was so dry that it hurt to speak.

The blond tried to sit up but a sharp pain wracked his body. It was almost as if he could feel the Chidori pierce his chest and stomach again.

_That shouldn't be possible! Unless… that bastard fox! It's hoarding its chakra!_

Naruto returned his attention to the ceiling. "Sasuke…"

Time had slowed to a crawl. It was grating on Naruto. He loved being in motion. This sitting and waiting to heal was driving him nuts. All he could do while sitting alone was think about the battle with Sasuke and the conversation with the Kyūbi.

Thus when the door opened, Naruto mentally did the happy dance. Physically, he turned his heavily bandaged head towards the door. Tsunade and Shizune were standing in the door with relieved smiles on their faces.

"Welcome back, Naruto." The Hokage walked over and sat at the edge of Naruto's bed.

"Thanks baa-chan. How long have I been out?" Naruto shifted into a new position. It wasn't comfortable, but it was better than mildly painful.

Shizune was checking some readings. "Just over twenty four hours."

"Well, at least I'm alive."

Tsunade shook her head. "It's a bit of a miracle that you made it." Her grin vanished as Naruto's smile disappeared. "But, you're back with us. Are you up for visitors?"

"I guess." The boy quickly put a brave face forward. He was going to be Hokage one day. They had to keep the morale of the village up! "So, who wants to see me?"

Tsunade resisted the urge to pat the brat on the head. "You all can come in now."

Naruto had expected his first visitors to be Iruka, Ero-sennin or hopefully Sakura-chan. He was very surprised when Hinata and Ino entered his hospital room.

"Hey you two." Naruto smiled warmly. They weren't who he expected but he was glad that some of his friends cared enough to visit.

Ino smiled and nudged Hinata forward. The heiress smiled and fought the urge to look down. "I… I'm glad you are awake, Naruto-kun. I… I hope you recover quickly."

"Thanks Hinata." Naruto was not the most perceptive of shinobi, but he could notice the blindingly obvious. "Ne, Hinata, are you ok? I mean, you have a couple of wicked bruises! Did someone hurt you? I'll beat some sense into them like I did with Neji!"

"I… I'm alright, Naruto-kun. The, the bruises are from training. Tsunade-sama's exercises are… intense." The Hyūga heiress blushed at Naruto's earnest declaration. He could barely sit up straight and was nearly out of chakra, but his first thoughts had been to protect his friends. That intense drive was one of the hundred things that drew Hinata to Naruto like a moth to flame.

Naruto wasn't sure he liked it, but everyone got a bit bruised in training. "Ok. Hey, Hinata have you shown baa-chan that cream?"

Tsunade poked Naruto on the toe. The boy winced in pain. "I promised myself I'd let the first baa-chan slide. You've already used the freebie." The Slug Sannin turned to Hinata. "What is the brat talking about, Hinata?"

As Hinata told the Hokage about the medicinal balm the shy Hyūga made, Ino flashed a warm smile.

"It's good to see you up, Naruto. Everyone has been worried about you. Kiba, Neji and Chōji would visit but they are in almost as rough a state as you are. Next time I visit them, I'll let them know you're up."

Naruto smiled back and nodded at his fellow blond. He was still upset his friends were so injured. On the other hand, Ino had just told him they weren't mad.

The severely wounded Jinchūriki was about to ask about Shikamaru when Tsunade had a bit of an outburst. "You made this with no formal training?"

"I had no formal training Hokage-sama, but I read the few medical scrolls my clan possesses."

Naruto quickly zoned out as baa-chan quizzed Hinata on the cream. Ino had already said bye and was going to let the rest of the Sasuke Retrieval Team know Naruto was awake.

Naruto continued to ignore the boring medical talk. He wasn't listening as baa-chan and Hinata compared the benefits of some herb versus some other plant. He _did_, however, notice that Hinata was really enjoying the conversation. Hinata had always been the most reserved of all of Naruto's friends. It was surprising to see her so animated.

_Huh, I guess there's a lot about Hinata I haven't noticed... _Naruto still thought of Hinata as that shy and kind of weird girl, but the blond had long since dropped the negative part from his description of the Hyūga. If Hinata hadn't given him that pep talk before the Chunnin Exam finals, Neji probably would have wiped the floor with him. She had called him a proud failure. Hinata had said she got an intense feeling in her heart when he was around. She acknowledged that he was flawed, but claimed that they made him human.

_Intense feelings of the heart, eh?_ Naruto wondered as the gears in his head started turning. He tried to roll over towards the windows, but Shizune-neechan was sitting on the bed and talking some medical mumbojumbo with baa-chan and Hinata. So, he rolled the other way.

It was ironic that he was thinking about 'intense feelings of the heart', because standing in the door way was Sakura-chan. Naruto felt a flutter, but also felt that there was something off. He looked up at Sakura and saw the eyes. It was the same eyes some of the civilians had; the same eyes that told Naruto that he was an object and not a person. Before Naruto could shout a greeting, Sakura simply walked away.

Naruto rolled over and resumed staring at the ceiling. Somehow, Sakura's indifference hurt almost as much as Sasuke's Chidori.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: Here's Chapter Two of Prince Naruto! I hope you guys enjoy it!

I'm especially curious about yall's opinion on my portrayal of the Kyūbi. I'm sure it's obvious, but Naruto and the Demon Fox _won't _be getting buddy-buddy in this.

So, read and review please!


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto would have screamed in frustration, but he knew it would hurt too much. The Kyūbi had evidently decided it had tortured Naruto enough and began healing the human again. That wasn't the source of his frustration. Shizune-neechan had caught him trying to sneak out of the room. Naruto tried to explain that he was feeling a lot better! All he wanted to do was… something!

"No, Naruto-kun, you can't sneak out and go to Ichiraku." Naruto wheeled around and saw Shizune now flanked by a pair of Medic Nins

She knew! He whined without saying a word. It was just one more cruel blow that he had to suffer through!

"Shizune-neechan! Pleeeaaaseeee! After all I've been through; you can't possibly deny me the warm, glorious comfort of Ramen!"

Baa-chan's assistant took a deep breath. "YES! I _can_. I'm one of your doctors and you are not healed! Back. To. Your. Room!"

Naruto flinched. _Was that Iruka-sensei's Big Head no Jutsu?_ _I can't argue against that…_ The blond sighed in total and complete defeat and started to hobble back to his room.

"Ne, Shizune-neechan, can I at least sit in the chair sometimes?"

Shizune deflated a bit. "When I or Tsunade-sama visits; you can sit in the chair. Naruto-kun, you aren't fully healed yet. Your lungs and Large Intestine are still healing." She walked closer and her voice dropped. "Naruto-kun, between Tsunade-sama and the Kyūbi, we had to practically grow you a new Large Intestine and part of a lung."

"It… it was that bad?" Naruto knew he was in pain. Sasuke had put a Chidori clean through his body, but he hadn't realized it had obliterated parts of his internal organs.

Shizune ruffled the boy's head. "It _was_, but you are healing fast. We don't want you to rush things and end up hurt worse."

"Kay, Shizune-neechan." It wasn't what he wanted to hear, but it wasn't as bad as expected. Naruto had honestly believed Shizune would have tied him to the bed. Granted, Naruto still expected that to happen at one point. He _needed_ Ramen. It was only a matter of time before he tried to bolt for freedom again. So, he returned to his room and sat at the edge of the bed and rested for a bit. There was nothing to do and no one to talk to, so Naruto stared at the door. Anything was better than the ceiling.

* * *

Umino Iruka shifted ever so slightly behind his desk. The teacher had been informed only a few minutes ago about today's meeting. As always, Iruka had arrived to the Academy nearly an hour early to prepare for the day. A heartbeat after finishing grading the homework on the Nidaime Hokage, an ANBU had appeared and simply said.

"A guest of the Hokage wishes to speak with you." Iruka thanked the ANBU as the masked Ninja disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Unfortunately, the ANBU had said that a guest was coming, but didn't say when. So, Iruka continued with his preparations. His students wouldn't benefit from Iruka sitting around and waiting!

He quickly finished printing out the quiz on Chakra Theory and was writing the lesson plans for next month's basic ninjutsu unit. Iruka sighed as he filed away the chakra control lesson. The old lesson plan was still in another folder, but his experiences with Naruto had changed his perceptions. Iruka had never realized the level of chakra Naruto possessed until the night Mizuki betrayed Konoha. It shamed him. He had failed Naruto as a teacher. Iruka had even apologized to the boy after Naruto's return from the disastrous Wave Mission. The teacher had promised Naruto that he would never fail another student again. Naruto lived up to his nickname as 'Konoha's Most Unpredictable Ninja'. The boy had actually berated Iruka.

"_What the heck are you talking about Iruka-sensei? You didn't fail me! You were the only teacher at the Academy who answered my questions. If staying after school to tutor me and then taking me for Ramen is failing; then I'm a bit jealous of the students who you'll succeed with."_

The teacher leaned back in his chair. "Naruto, is this what it is like to be a father?"

Iruka sighed at the thought. All possibility of further exploring his new emotions was cut off by the sound of footsteps. He sat straighter and started another lesson plan.

It took a great deal of effort not to show his surprise at his guest. "Thank you for seeing me on such a short notice, Umino Iruka."

"You are welcome." Iruka struggled to keep his voice neutral. It was no wonder Tsunade-sama hadn't informed him who his guests would be. It was _Gaara_. The same Gaara who had been a crucial part of the Sound/Sand Invasion. Even more troubling, he had quickly become strong allies of Konoha. The boy with the tattoo of 'Love' and his siblings had been crucial in saving the Uchiha Retrieval Squad. No one in Konoha was really sure what Gaara's motivations were.

Gaara took a quick breath. "Uzumaki Naruto recommended that I speak with you."

_That_ quickly eclipsed Iruka's initial shock. "Naruto, eh? Well, what do you need Gaara?"

"I wish to observe your teaching. Konoha repelling Orochimaru's Invasion opened my eyes to many things. Your Academy is one. It allows for Konoha to maintain a large force of Shinobi while ensuring the highest quality." Gaara ignored the semi-blank look on Iruka's face. Everything he had heard led him to believe Gaara wouldn't talk that much.

"Konoha is proud of the Academy. However, I am a relatively new Instructor. Why do you want to observe me? Shichiro is the most experienced teacher."

Gaara shook his head. "Umino Iruka." The Instructor was caught completely off guard by Gaara's tone. "You are the only teacher Naruto respects. If I am to shape Suna into the Village it is destined to be, it will need teachers of your nature."

"Thank you, Gaara-san." Iruka smiled at the trust Naruto had placed in him. _Naruto, you loudmouth.

* * *

_

Sakura held the book in front of her face. She didn't want anyone to see her emotions at the moment.

_What set this off?_ She whimpered in her mind. Then she remembered. It was one of the anatomy texts. It described how sometimes a person could survive incredible wounds through willpower alone. That paragraph made her think of Naruto. That blond idiot was far too stubborn to die! That thought made her smile at first, but it quickly disappeared.

He was also too stubborn to quit. Naruto had made that promise. _That damned promise!_ He swore he would bring back Sasuke. Sakura knew that her only loyal teammate would succeed. Unfortunately, she also knew Naruto's quest would kill him. Sasuke didn't deserve such loyalty. Naruto had done everything in his power to have Sasuke open up to the world. Sasuke had spit on that bond. The Uchiha did not deserve Naruto.

And neither did she. Sakura flipped the page and began studying the layout of chakra pathways on the left arm. Honestly, Sakura wasn't paying attention. She was lamenting the fact that once she made have deserved the admiration of Naruto, but she had tossed that away to chase after a mirage. Now, her one overriding goal was to stop Naruto from chasing after a mirage. Team Seven had given her valuable insight into her hero.

_Hero?_

The truth continued to surprise her. Yes, Naruto was her hero and he had very few fears as opposed to his many strengths. Naruto craved acknowledgement. Thus, his greatest fear was _losing_ that acknowledgement. He had pursued her to confirm his own existence. It was strange that even when Sakura belittled and hit him that Naruto actually found joy in it.

She was confirming that he existed.

"Hey Forehead! What's with the sigh?" Ino asked as she jotted some notes down.

"I…" Sakura quickly faked a yawn. "Tired I guess. Tsunade-sama is working us hard. Kakashi-sensei was never this tough."

"This training will be worth it though!" Hinata spoke with unshakable conviction.

Ino nodded. "Hinata's right! We'll save lives once we master this!"

Sakura nodded slightly. _If only Naruto had chosen one of you instead of me.

* * *

_

Meihui was packing for the journey to Konoha and was begging to believe that this mission was a mistake. She hadn't even _met_ this Uzumaki Naruto and she was forming an emotional attachment! The spy closed the final trunk and sighed.

_No, I am the only one who can do this. _

"You don't deserve this mission, girl."

Meihui's gaze shot up and her eyes narrowed. "It is sad when such rudeness is expected of you, Gao."

The broad shouldered man snorted. Gao's long mustache framed his mouth and hung below his chin. The other Movement spy narrowed his flint colored eyes at the woman. "Such curtness does not befit a spy."

"I care not for your opinions. Leave, Gao." Meihui hissed.

"Michi-sama expressed her concerns that the boy will influence your actions. She wonders if you will be able to accomplish your objectives."

Meihui ground her teeth. "Michi-san is only a single vote on the Board of the Movement. Her concerns are noted, but she needs not worry. Kenta-san will be accompanying me. I am sure the samurai will help keep me focused."

"I believe we are done here. I warn you, Meihui, do not turn this Uzumaki Naruto into a surrogate for your dead child. He is our future daimyo."

The widow shook with rage. "OUT! Never speak to me again, you filthy excuse for a man!"

Gao left without a word, but his cruel smile spoke volumes. Meihui had the self control not to cry until she could no longer hear the man's footsteps. She didn't know how long she wept, but the sound of footsteps wrenched her focus to the present.

"I am sorry for whatever Gao said to you." Meihui could barely nod in thanks for Kenta's words. The Samurai continued. "The preparations for our journey to Konoha are ready."

"I… I have finished packing. Where is my father?"

The samurai shook his head. "Masakyo-san sends his regrets that he could not see us off. Unfortunately, the Movement requires that he head toward Kiri. The Civil War there has entered a new phase."

"Of course." Meihui smiled as she recovered her emotional control. "When does the ship leave?"

"Tomorrow morning at dawn. It is a short trip and should not last more than two days."

Meihui straightened. "Very well, Kenta-san. Shall we depart?"

The old Samurai nodded. Meihui eagerly left the safehouse. Gao's presence had polluted the very air.

* * *

Naruto was still a bit in shock from his earlier visit. After he had spoken with Shizune-neechan, he had simply stared at the door. Time seemed to drag on until he heard a voice from behind him. It had been Gaara. Naruto was grateful that one of his friends had arrived to visit him, but he had wished his fellow Jinchūriki had used the door. The conversation still rang in his head.

"_Naruto, I am glad you have recovered." Gaara's unnaturally smooth voice caused Naruto to leap from his seat._

"_OW!" Naruto grimaced. "I'm not fully recovered yet, but thanks." The container of the One Tailed Beast nodded. An awkward silenced descended. _

"_There is something I need to speak with you about, Naruto." Gaara said as he sat his Gourd in a corner._

_Naruto was shocked. He had never seen Gaara take the Gourd off his back. "Sure thing buddy! What do you need?"_

"_Buddy?" Gaara leaned his head to one side. Naruto fought the urge to facepalm. It would be satisfying, but it would also be painful. The blond reminded himself that Gaara was new to this 'friendship' thing._

"_It's a familiar version of friend." Gaara accepted Naruto's explanation._

"_I understand… buddy." Gaara tried out the unfamiliar word. "My siblings and I will be returning to Suna soon. The most severely injured are ready to move again. Before I go, I need to ask you about Konoha's Academy."_

"_Oh." Naruto managed to squeak out. _That _was not his favorite subject._

"_Indeed, Naruto. I believe that the Hidden Leaf's Academy was one of the reasons you defeated Orochimaru's invasion. I want to establish an Academy in Suna. Who would you recommend I speak to? Who is the best teacher?"_

"_Iruka-sensei." Naruto said with conviction and without hesitation. _

"_He must be a senior teacher." _

_Naruto shook his head. "Nah, Iruka-sensei is actually the youngest teacher. He's the best though. Iruka-sensei did everything he could to teach everyone the best. I can't count the number of times he stayed after class to help me with my problems. Besides, he's actually a pretty cool guy unlike the older teachers. The old goons are pricks."_

"_Thank you, Naruto. I would…" Gaara mulled over the unfamiliar words. "Enjoy speaking with you longer, but I must speak with this Iruka and leave for Suna."_

_Naruto nodded. "I wish you could stay longer. It's nice to have a friend who can understand our… burden."_

"_That is true. Naruto… Thank you. I look forward to seeing you again." Gaara reached down and picked up his Gourd. "You will always be welcome in Suna."_

"_I better!" Naruto said with enthusiasm and caught the Suna Jinch__ū__riki off guard. "I mean, I'm going to be Hokage one day and Suna is one of Konoha's allies right?"_

"_Of course." Naruto swore he saw the ghost of a smile on his friend's face. "Tell me, Naruto, why do you wish to be your village's Kage?"_

"_At first, it was just so the villagers would acknowledge my existence. Everything's been changing lately though. I've had a lot of time to think today. Orochimaru really forced me to choose a new reason, a _real _reason. I want to protect Konoha! Even after all the crap this place has thrown at me, I still want to save it from its enemies. The Hokage guides the village. That's what the Old Man once told me. So, I decided I'm going to guide it to peace."_

_Gaara sat silently. "You continue to open my eyes, Naruto. That is a noble goal. I… I will become Kazekage and we will work towards an era of peace."_

"_Glad to hear it Gaara!" Naruto leaned forward and smiled. "But there is no way you are going to be Kage before me!" _

_Gaara returned the smile. "We shall see, Naruto."_

Naruto replayed the conversation in his head one more time. It was still hard to believe Gaara had actually smiled. Not a sadistic, murderous grin. It had been a true smile! That small victory had instantly lightened Naruto's sour mood. If he could get someone like Gaara to smile, then he could do anything. Suddenly a flow of memories started. He remembered Inari and the citizens of Wave standing defiantly on the bridge confronting Gato's thugs. He remembered the Genin in the second test of the Chunnin exams cheering after he stood up to Ibiki. He saw Hinata get back up during the fight against Neji.

_People can change_.

The image of Sasuke flashed in his mind. _So can you, Sasuke. I'm going to save you, whether you want it or not… brother.

* * *

_

The girls wandered down the hall. Tsunade had finally freed them from their training. Ino, Sakura and Hinata had never been worked so hard in their lives. They couldn't back out now. As scary as the Slug Sanin's training was, the girls knew her anger at running away would be worse. It took the exhausted students a moment to realize that Shizune was waving at them. Ino was the first to return the friendly, and pitying, gesture.

"I have some great news!" The Hokage's assistant shouted in a chipper voice.

_Please tell me today was a horrible joke and that tomorrow will be easier._ Each girl thought.

"What is it Shizune-sempai?" Sakura asked quietly.

"Chōji has been cleared for release and Kiba left after lunch."

Ino perked up. "Has Chōji left yet?" Shizune shook her head, but Ino was rushing towards her teammate's room before the sentence had even finished.

"How are Neji-niisan and Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked with hope dripping from every word.

Shizune took a look at the clipboard she was carrying. She flipped through a few pages. "Neji has regained consciousness. He has made great strides, but isn't cleared for visitors yet."

"Shizune-sempai, how is that possible? Naruto was a lot worse off than Neji and is already awake. How is that even possible?" Sakura asked.

"Naruto… has an accelerated healing capacity." The young woman guarded her response carefully.

Sakura shook her head. "Naruto doesn't have a kekkei genkai."

"We should be thankful for his ability to heal, no matter what causes it." Hinata said curtly. _Why aren't you excited that your teammate is awake Sakura?_

The Hokage's students continued down the hall. Shizune was giving advice on how to survive Tsunade's training. Sakura passed by Naruto's room without a sideways glance. The pinkette pressed the call button for the elevator. As she entered the elevator, the door to Naruto's room was thrown open.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked excitedly.

Hinata couldn't bare the hurt on Naruto's face. "Naruto-kun…"

"Huh?" Naruto shook the cobwebs away. "Hey, Hinata!"

"Are you feeling better?" Hinata fought the urge to flinch when she realized what she had asked. _I can never help Naruto-kun like he helps me…_

"Heck yeah! I'm going to be out of here in a few days! Baa-chan and Shizune-neechan will have me good as new, believe it!"

"You are incredible Naruto-kun." Hinata said softly.

The blond mummy smiled and thumped his chest. _OW!_ "Of course, I'm the future Rokudaime Hokage!"

Naruto's proud declaration was interrupted by a fierce growling. Hinata giggle was soon joined by Naruto's laughter.

"Sounds like you're ready for some food, Naruto-kun." Shizune truly thought of Naruto as a little brother.

"_Food_? Oh come on, Shizune-neechan! That… gruel you hoist on me isn't food! _Ramen_ is food."

Hinata knew she could not help Naruto medically yet, but she could help him in a small way. "Ano, Naruto-kun…"

"Ne, what is it Hinata?" The blond stopped his sermon on the glories of Ramen.

"I… can bring you some Ramen tomorrow. I would get you some tonight, but I have to get home and inform tou-san about my training."

Hinata felt her mind slow to a crawl and focus on a singular fact. _Naruto-kun is hugging me!_

"Thanks Hinata! You're the best!"

The Hyūga heiress squeaked out a 'you're welcome' as Shizune helped Naruto back to his room. Hinata would late describe the way she had returned home as 'floating'. It had been such a small thing to offer to bring Naruto ramen. However, Hinata had seen the happiness her offer had brought Naruto. The second she had seen the light in his eyes; Hinata swore that Tsunade's murderous training regimen and her father's probable anger would be worth it.

"Hinata-sama! Are you alright?" Hinata looked up suddenly. The Hyūga guards ran over and began asking a dozen questions.

_I must look like I've been attacked!_

"I am fine." Hinata tried to calm the panicked guards. They were probably afraid Hiashi would activate their Caged Bird seals.

"Hinata, I am sure that you have a suitable explanation for your current state and why you have been absent from the compound today."

The voice of Hiashi caused Hinata to become rooted in place. "I do, tou-san."

"Follow me to the sitting area." Hinata followed at the proper distance behind her father. The years of training quickly asserted themselves. The young woman did not sit until her father granted her permission. "I would like to know what you have been doing today. Your appearance suggests you have been in a battle."

"As you are aware, father, I was summoned to the Hokage's Tower this morning." Hiashi nodded for his daughter to continue. "I was unsure of the exact nature of the summons, but the Godaime made her intentions clear."

Hinata felt the pride swell in her chest. Surely, her father would share her pride in being one of the apprentices to the Hokage. Hinata would never admit that she truly enjoyed learning medical ninjutsu more than her clan's techniques.

"I was summoned because Tsunade-sama has named me one of her apprentices. Hokage-sama said that my chakra control is among the best of my generation."

Hiashi nodded. "You are the Hyūga heiress. Such laurels are your's by birthright. Who are the other apprentices?"

"Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura." Hinata deflated at her father's callous attribution of her talents to simply being a Hyūga and not to Hinata's hard work.

"I assume that the Hokage immediately began your training." Hiashi stated simply.

"Yes, father. Our training began immediately. The physical training was… intense. Tsunade-sama trains us extensively in evasion. The Hokage told us that as Combat Medics, we are the cornerstone of our team. If we were to be incapacitated in any way, our teammates would be in incredible danger."

Hiashi interlocked his fingers. "Has the Hokage provided a schedule for your training?"

"No father, Tsunade-sama has not." Hinata maintained her poise even in the face of her disappointment and exhaustion. She felt her confidence cracking as her father rose from his chair and began to leave. Her heart practically stopped when Hiashi lingered in the doorway.

"Inform me when you have a concrete schedule. I must be aware of when you are available to learn the Kaiten. The Heavenly Spin will be invaluable in your training with the Godaime." Hinata's eyes shot open. She could not believe the words her father had just spoken. "I am proud of you."

Hiashi left the room without another word. Her father's words had made Hinata cry more times than she dared to admit. But today was different.

She had never cried tears of joy before.


	4. Chapter 4

_Today was going _so_ much better than the last few days_! Naruto thought happily as he savored the ramen Hinata had brought. He was feeling better in pretty much every way. Naruto was finally healing up quickly again. It seemed that Fox Bastard had gotten bored hoarding its Chakra. Baa-chan had given him permission to walk the hall outside his room if she or one of the other medic-nins was with him. The activity wasn't much but Naruto couldn't bring himself to look at the ceiling anymore. Even better, he had someone to talk to! Naruto admitted to himself that he wasn't sure Hinata would actually show up. It was hard to gauge what the shy Hyūga's reaction would be to any situation.

Case in point, Naruto had just smiled and thanked her for the ramen. Hinata suddenly went red and looked away.

"You… you are welcome, Naruto-kun." Naruto barely heard her but at least she sounded happy. It was hard to believe that the shy Hinata in front of him was the same determined Hinata who had refused to give up in her match with Neji at the Chunnin exams.

"So, Hinata, how hard is baa-chan working you?" Naruto originally asked with excitement, but the emotion tapered out when it looked like Hinata was about to dodge a kunai.

"Tsunade-shishō had been training us very hard. We… we were practicing our evasion techniques before lunch. Tsunade- shishō … makes us dodge boulders and trees. I've never seen anyone as powerful as the Godaime-sama." Hinata spoke with a hint of awe in her voice.

"Ah…" Naruto drained the broth from his miso ramen. "Yeah, baa-chan is really strong. You should have seen her put Gamabunta's sword through Orochimaru's shitty snake summon's mouth!"

Hinata stirred her own ramen with her chopsticks. "Naruto-kun…"

The still, rather ridiculously in his opinion, wrapped blond looked up. "What is it Hinata?"

"When do you think Tsunade-shisho will release you?" Hinata smiled as she asked the question.

Naruto felt a warmth in his gut, but the broth he'd just swallowed had already cooled down. "I have no idea. If I'm lucky it'll be soon. I really want to see everybody and get back to training."

Hinata took a few calming breaths. The Jinchūriki watched her with a few ramen noodles hanging from his mouth. "Naruto-kun, would… would you like to train with me sometime? "

"Sure thing Hinata." He said after slurping the noodles.

Hinata looked like Naruto had just pulled a pony out of the closet. "I… I should get back to training. T..thank you for letting me, letting me eat with you!"

"Huh? I should be thanking you! Hinata, you rescued me from the horrors of hospital food! If you hadn't shown up…" Naruto's voice trailed off. He couldn't bring himself to admit that she was the only person to visit him when baa-chan or Shizune-neechan weren't checking on his progress. "Well, I'm glad someone took time out their busy schedule to visit me."

Hinata left Naruto's room after assuring the blond it wasn't any problem. Naruto sighed and hoped that Hinata was ok. She started getting all red again. He really hoped her fever wasn't back. It would suck if she had to switch places with him!

Naruto took a deep breath. He often wondered about Hinata. She always seemed to get red around him. Naruto had seen her talk to her teammates occasionally and she never seemed to stutter. It was weird. The recovering Jinchūriki suddenly realized he _had_ seen a similar reaction before.

_No way! It couldn't be _that _could it?

* * *

_

Tsunade walked between the tables where her newest apprentices were using their medical ninjutsu to keep a fish alive outside of water. The Hokage looked at her assistant and Shizune nodded.

"Excellent work all of you!" Tsunade whirled around and faced the exhausted girls. "I am impressed that you kept you 'patients' alive for nearly a minute. Return the fish to the aquarium and get your schedules from Shizune."

The apprentices bowed to their teacher. Sakura and Ino were very close to Shizune and rushed to get their schedules. Hinata, however, approached the Fifth Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, I have a question."

"What is it Hinata?" Tsunade didn't mean to sound short, but it had been a very long day and she was not looking forward to meeting with the Council.

Hinata took a deep breath. "When will Naruto-kun be released?"

"I was going to release him after my meeting with the Council. Shizune!" Tsunade suddenly called out for her assistant.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"First, make sure Hinata gets her schedule. Next, I want you two to get The Brat out of my hospital before he gets cabin fever." The Hokage ordered quickly.

Shizune giggled. "Should I tell him to keep the bandages on? He did complain they were starting to itch."

The Hokage's eyes lit up like she had just placed a bet at a huge poker tournament. "Of course!"

"Ano, Tsunade-shisō, does Naruto really need the bandages?" Hinata asked. She was fairly certain that Naruto didn't need all those bandages.

Tsunade patted her shy apprentice on the head. "Nope! I'm just getting him back for all the times he's called me Baa-chan!"

The Hyūga Heiress didn't know how she should react. One the one hand, she was mortified that the Hokage would pull a prank on Naruto. One the other, it _was_ funny. Also, Naruto's prankster nature had finally caught up with him. Hinata thought about it for a moment and realized she was torn between defending Naruto and laughing.

Instead of a passionate defense of Naruto or a hearty laugh, a most _undignified_ snort escaped from Hinata. Her eyes went wide in horror.

"Don't worry, this'll stay between us." Tsunade tried to sound reassuring, but her laughter caused Hinata's head to droop.

* * *

Konohamaru stared in slack jawed disbelief. He couldn't believe that someone could actually be so twisted as to want to _spread_ such misery and cruelty to Suna. Sure, the Hidden Sand had taken part in the invasion but they had been tricked by Orochimaru. Konohamaru took a deep breath. He had to stay calm. Moegi and Udon told him that whenever he thought about the monster that killed Grandpa that he released a bit of killing intent.

_Where was I?_ _Oh, right._

This _injustice_ was just the spiteful punishment of the children of Suna for the invasion. _No one_ deserved the cruelty that was about to be unleashed upon them. Someone had to stick up for Suna! The Honorable Grandson raised his hand.

Iruka sighed. "Yes, Konohamaru?"

"You do realize the kids our age in Suna may consider us helping open an Academy to be an Act of War, right?"

"Konohamaru, I am sure that Suna will not consider it an Act of War." Iruka fought the urge to groan. Konohamaru was the Second Coming of Naruto. Iruka considered Naruto to be a little brother or even a son, but he had been a trial from heaven to teach.

"But! It's _the Academy_! You have no idea the horrors we have to endure here!" The grandson of the Third Hokage leapt to his feet and spoke with passion.

He was promptly frozen in place by a terrifying glare from Iruka. "Are you saying I scare you?"

"Yes." Konohamaru whimpered.

The icy silence that followed was suddenly broken by a sound whose existence had been doubted by the entirety of the Elemental Nations.

Sabuka no Gaara was laughing. Mirthfully.

* * *

Naruto was bouncing in the bed in a feeble attempt to burn up the excitement that was welling up. He had heard two medic-nins talk about how the Hokage was going to release Naruto later today and that Neji was finally well enough to receive visitors. Naruto and the Hyūga prodigy had taken the longest to recover of the Retrieval team. However, the entire team had survived.

"HAAAA! I'm _bored!_"

"Mm, you could always read." A voice said idly from Naruto's right. The blond yelped and fell off the bed.

"Kakashi-sensei! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Naruto shouted.

The infamous Copy Ninja idly flipped a page in his beloved orange book as he sat on the windowsill. "You're a ninja, Naruto. I thought you knew that we have to be aware of our surroundings at all time."

"I know! And I don't want to read any of your perverted books! Ero-Sennin tried to force me to be his proofreader for those when we went to find baa-chan."

Kakashi nearly dropped his book. Naruto was half way standing when Kakashi stood over him with a look of horrific glee on his face. "You… you _saw_ the next installment in the Icha Icha series…"

"Yeah…"

Kakashi grabbed Naruto's shoulders. "Tell me! Share the wonders of the future with me! I promise I'll make a fair trade for such beautiful information!"

"Alright, but you have to promise to answer my questions. You have to promise on your Sharingan you won't try to weasel out." Kakashi had not heard Naruto's voice take on that tone.

_You sounded like Minato-sensei._

"I promise."

Naruto nodded and explained the basic plot of how a brave warrior made an oath on the blood of a beautiful young noble woman to avenge her attack at the hands of a cruel white eyed demon. The young warrior went on to train with a mighty mountain sage because the warrior did not possess the strength to battle the cunning demon yet. Naruto groaned as he told how the young handsome and noble warrior had to fend off legions of 'nubile' young women who wished to make love to him. The mighty mountain sage would transform into the warrior and pleased the women so that his student would remain pure for his maiden.

"Ero-Sennin hadn't gotten to the part where the Warrior and the Sage get back to avenge the noble woman when we found baa-chan."

Kakashi was very amused because of two reasons. The first was that he got an advanced look at the next magical installment of his favorite book series. The second…

"Naruto, does that plot line sound familiar to you _at all_? Think back, to say… The Chunnin Exam preliminaries?"

The blond Genin shrugged his shoulders. "A bit. Everything before my fight with Sasuke is hard to pin down. One minute it'll be perfectly clear, and then it'll get fuzzy. "

Kakashi chuckled. _The boy's a bit dense._ "Alright, Naruto, ask your questions."

Naruto took a deep breath. "First one: Why did you train only Sasuke for the finals and dump me with Ebisu?"

"I was the only one who could train Sasuke. There aren't any other Sharingan users in Konoha, not after Itachi lost his mind and killed the Uchiha. And… Sasuke was slipping after Orochimaru gave him the Cursed Seal of Heaven. He spent the entire time pushing himself to the brink. Sasuke kept going on about how he couldn't let you surpass him. If you had been there, I'm afraid Sasuke would have become unhinged. I spent the first two weeks just trying to suppress the Seal."

Kakashi paused. "And I didn't 'dump' you on Ebisu. I know you've had some run-ins with him in the past, but he is actually an excellent teacher. He knows several very good chakra control exercises that would have helped you immensely. You probably won't believe this, but he was actually excited about teaching you. He said something about wanting to find out your Elemental Affinity. I think he respects you a great deal."

That had not been what Naruto expected to hear. He couldn't ask the original question of 'Did you even want me on the team' now.

"Kakashi-sensei… The team selections… Was it really because I was 'dead-last'?"

"No. I requested you and Sasuke. My best friend was an Uchiha and I felt that I owed Obito. I chose you…" Kakashi wasn't sure how to proceed with this. He couldn't tell Naruto that he wanted to look after the son of the greatest man he had ever known. "You reminded me of several important people in my past. I wanted to help you become a ninja they could be proud of."

Naruto looked away. "Do you think I made them proud?"

"They would be proud." _Minato, Kushina… behold your son.

* * *

_

Shizune knocked politely on the door to Naruto's room. After there was no answer, she leaned in to knock again. This time, she heard Naruto speaking to someone.

"Ano, Shizune-sempai, who is Naruto talking to?" Hinata spoke in a whisper.

Shizune shushed her fellow apprentice and they listened. No one had cleared any visitors for Naruto.

"Brat, I have a few things to take care of, but when I come back I promise I'll start your training."

Naruto's voice was distant and the girls realized he had his back to the door. "It better not be your 'research'. Baa-chan will use you to carve her face in the Mountain if it is."

Jiraiya's voice scoffed. "It is research, but research for Konoha. I run the spy network for the village. There is a lot of activity that recently started up. There's the obvious such as finding out what Orochimaru's plans for Sasuke are. Then there's Itachi and what his group wants with you. Finally, there are the problems popping up in the Land of Lightning."

"You promise you'll come back and train me? I mean, if Sasuke is going to be 'taught' by the Snake Bastard I'm going to need you to help even the odds." Naruto said in a firm, powerful voice that made Hinata's heart skip a beat.

Jiraiya laughed. "Even the odds? You wound me brat! I'm not going to help even the odds. When I'm done with you, the odds will be so stacked in your favor _Tsunade-hime_ could win with them!"

"Kick. Ass."

"Damn right it is!" Jiraiya laughed. "You two can come in. We heard your first knock."

Naruto's voice became clearer. He probably turned around. "Yeah, it's ok Hinata and Shizune-neehan!"

Tsunade's apprentices entered the room. "How did you know it was us, Naruto-kun?"

"Casue you and Hinata are the only ones polite enough to wait for someone to respond to your knock. Baa-chan and Sakura-chan would have just barged in screaming either 'BRAT' or 'NARUTO-NO-BAKA', and Ino would have knocked and then entered announcing how we were lucky for her to visit us."

Hinata and Shizune exchanged glances. "Well, _somebody_ has to be polite in our crazy group!"

Naruto and Jiraiya laughed at Shizune's declaration. Jiraiya spoke first. "It sure as hell won't be me or the brat!"

"Oh, that's a shame because I thought Naruto-kun wanted to be Hokage…" Shizune smirked at the now pouting Naruto.

"Hey! I don't want to be Hokage. I **am** going to be Hokage!"

Hinata wanted to bask in Naruto's endless confidence. The Hyūga heiress knew he wasn't perfect. Naruto had flaws. He was overly loud, had no clue about proper etiquette and was a bit dense. However, those flaws only deepened the respect she held for him. He was human. Her admiration for Naruto wasn't an empty husk like the traitor Uchiha's fangirls possessed. Hinata cared for Naruto as a human being; not as some distant fantasy. She had always wondered how the other kunoichi from the Academy could see _anything_ in Sasuke. Hinata recognized he was a 'good' ninja but was an utterly miserable person. In Hinata's opinion, Sasuke was the dark shadow cast by the light that was Naruto.

As she reflected on her _longing_ for Naruto, she realized something. Yes, he was flawed, especially in etiquette and manners. Those, however, were some of her limited strengths. She could help him!

"Oh really? How can someone be Hokage without manners?" Shizune countered.

Naruto pointed his finger at the Hokage's majordomo so quickly his elbow popped. "Ask baa-chan! She seems to be doing a good job without them!"

"For your information, _Rokudaime_! Tsunade-sama is perfectly capable of behaving like the noble woman she is!" Shizune continued as if she hadn't heard Jiraiya cackle. "It is just whenever _you _are around Naruto, you agitate her."

Naruto crossed his arms. "I bet I could learn manners."

"HA!" The Toad Sage and the apprentice of the Slug Princess snorted in disbelief.

"I could!" Naruto shouted defensively.

Hinata had been watching quietly off to the side, forgotten. She had desperately wanted to speak, but she felt so small and helpless in the current company. Realization dawned on Hinata in that moment. This was her experience with Naruto in a microcosm. She simply _existed_ in a crowd. Hinata was pushed aside by the loud and forceful personalities of her friends. Naruto noticed Sakura and Ino to a lesser extent, because they had the courage to make their presence known. Hinata would never get Naruto to truly notice her if she continued down her current path.

"N… Naruto-kun could definitely learn! I… I could teach him!" Hinata spoke up.

"It's nice to see that someone recognizes how awesome I am! With Hinata teaching me, I bet I'll have it down in a week!" Naruto was still shouting. Truthfully, he never really stopped. His tone was no longer defensive but was instead jubilant.

Hinata felt the heat in her face and the racing of her heart as the Sanin and her Sempai turned to her.

"A week, eh?" Jiraiya had a lopsided grin on his face.

Naruto jabbed his finger at his teacher. "Oi! Don't you grin at Hinata like that you pervert! I'm not going to let you look at one of my friends like a piece of meat, dattebayo!"

_Oh god, what have I gotten into? _Hinata thought in a panic.

* * *

Gao entered the room where Michi-sama was pouring over a series of documents. Gao watched as the red haired woman cursed a contract. The spy stood at attention in the doorway. Eventually, Michi threw the contract against the wall. Gao waited to be address as Michi straightened out her loose fitting dress.

"Is there something you require, Gao-san?"

Gao bowed to his leader. "Yes, Michi-sama. I have come to relay my doubts and serious concerns about the mission to retrieve our 'Daimyo'."

"Ah yes." The politician dropped all pretense of civility. "Unfortunately, the other members of the Board did not share my concerns. They felt that Meihui forming an unhealthy emotional attachment would actually serve our purposes."

Gao continued to remain as still as a statue. "I agree. However…"

"Speak your mind, Gao-san." Michi ordered harshly.

"Did you not say that you _wanted_ this Uzumaki Naruto to form emotional attachments to us?" Gao questioned.

"Of course I did! The boy needs to form emotional ties to _the movement_ not a single individual. You cannot comprehend the power this Uzumaki holds. If Masakyo and his daughter gain control over the child they will have complete command over the movement."

Gao paled at the thought. "How much power does this child have?"

"I cannot tell you the source of his power. It is a State Secret, but I can tell you that it is beyond our comprehension. It would not surprise me if this Uzumaki Naruto one day rivals the Sanin."

Michi walked around the desk and smiled. "Think of it Gao. Imagine how trivial it would be to push him to be Uzukage while _another_ takes the Daimyo's throne. Rebuilding Uzugakure will take _years_. Uzumaki's attention will be securing the future of our Hidden Village."

"He would be forced out of politics with a smile on his face."

"Exactly! A beautifully simple plan and one that benefits the Land of Whirlpools in the long term."

Gao grinned. "We, of course, will have to remove Meihui and Masakyo from the equation."

"Of course. However, we must be patient."

"I concur, Michi-sama." Gao's grin never wavered.

* * *

Sakura quietly closed the door to her house and began the long walk to Training Ground Fifteen. Training Ground Fifteen had a fast moving stream that was excellent for practicing water walking. It was also very isolated and if she broke down in tears over Naruto's near death and the cruel necessity of pushing him away, no one would notice. The only joy she had found since the Uchiha Retrieval Team's return was the training regimen under Tsunade-shisho. Sakura knew that she was part of a new generation of kunoichi, and shinobi, who would finally find a purpose. It was Sakura's fervent hope that no one would be like her ever again. She would be the last burden.

Konoha's energy was returning. The shops were finally bustling again. The Hidden Village in the Leaves was alive again. The Hokage's apprentice smiled for the first time in days as she window shopped at a clothing store.

_Konoha will never be threatened again. We will have two great Hokages; Tsunade-sama the Godaime and Naruto, the future Rokudaime._

"Sakura-san?"

Sakura recognized the voice and turned to face her fellow apprentice. The shyest Kunoichi in all of Konoha was clutching a bag close to her chest. "Hello, Hinata."

"Have… have you heard that Naruto-kun will be released today?"

"No, I left after Tsunade-shisho released us. My parents wanted to speak with me about our training with the Hokage."

Hinata nodded. She could understand Sakura's rush to get home. Hiashi had been eager to learn the details of the Godaime's training as well. "Would you like to accompany me to help Naruto check out of the Hospital?"

Sakura felt an urge to grab Hinata's hand and rush to see Naruto. She wanted to tell that knucklehead that Sasuke's defection wasn't his fault and that he did his best.

But she couldn't. If she did that, Naruto would probably sneak out of Konoha the next morning and start a blind and fruitless search for the Snake Sanin and the traitor Uchiha. Her kindness would kill him.

"I scheduled Training Ground Fifteen today. I spent a good chunk of my savings, so I can't waste this opportunity. Speaking of spending, what's in the bag?"

Hinata hugged the bag tighter to her chest. "Ano, Naruto-kun's jumpsuit was... destroyed on his last mission." _When the bastard Uchiha betrayed and nearly killed him_. "He doesn't have much in the way clothing. I… bought him something."

"Let me guess, orange?"

The girls giggled for a moment. "It is his favorite color, Sakura-san."

"It better not be the bright kill me now orange." Sakura finally noticed the change in honorific and her tone cooled a bit.

"The jumpsuit is not for missions. It's for training and when he's in the village." Hinata countered the ice in Sakura's tone. Hinata fought the urge to smile. She was _Hy__ū__ga_ and was raised by Hiashi and with Neji. Her clan had made an icy tone an art form. "Will you visit Naruto-kun after he returns home?"

The pinkette shrugged her shoulders. "I might."

"Might." The word came out as an angry hiss.

"It's my choice." Sakura countered. She knew that Hinata would likely hate her now. If Hinata's hate gave her the push to finally confess to Naruto and give him the unconditional affection he deserved then it was a fair price.

"How can you be so cruel?" Hinata had filled her tone with the last emotion Sakura expected to hear. It was not anger or even hate. It was pain. Sakura felt her heart break.

"Because I have to be."

* * *

Naruto was hopping around his hospital room. The excitement he thought he had gotten under control after Kakashi-sensei's visit was back a hundred fold. He couldn't help it! He was finally getting out of this damn room! Naruto would never have to count the sixty-eight ceiling tiles or notice how the farthest windowsill wasn't leveled properly.

Thus, the knock at the door hadn't even finished when Naruto practically ripped the door off its hinges. "Hello?"

Hinata smiled shyly, but the clothing bag hid it from the object of her affections. "Tsunade-shisho just signed the release papers. You are free to go."

"YES!" Naruto shouted and jumped into the air. "I, uh, can't leave quite yet though."

"Why not, Naruto-kun?" Hinata leaned her head to the side.

_She was as cute as Sakura-chan there… _Naruto felt his shoulders slump at the thought. _Sakura-chan never visited. She was here and she never visited. Even Ino visited. Heck, Hinata was the only one who visited more than once._

"I, uh, don't have any clothes." He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his still bandaged head.

Hinata took a quick calming breath. She was very worried about how Naruto would react. "I… I bought you a new jumpsuit. It has some orange even."

"Seriously?" The blond couldn't hide his surprise. The shy Hyūga could only nod. "Awesome! Let's see it!"

The kunoichi pulled out the jumpsuit and handed it over. Naruto held the suit up and looked approvingly at it. It wasn't as brightly colored as his regular suit. The orange was more of a burnt orange instead of the neon orange that demanded attention. His new jacket was the same color, but was edged with black. He spun the jacket around and saw the spiral crest that was on his old jumpsuits shoulder.

"This is awesome." Naruto nodded appreciatively at the new clothes. "Hey, Hinata since you're going to be teaching me to stop being an embarrassment to society maybe you should help me pick up new clothes."

"You… you aren't an embarrassment, Naruto-kun."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks Hinata!"

The bond shinobi flashed a thumbs up and started changing clothes. He was so excited to finally get out of the hospital robes that he forgot Hinata was still in the room. Naruto was pulling his shirt over his head when he heard a **thump**.

"Hinata! Are you ok?" He asked in a hurry. Naruto knelt down and tried to shake Hinata awake.

"Naruto-kun took his shirt off…" Hinata whispered behind a smile.

"Huh?" Naruto, needless to say, was a bit confused.

* * *

The Konoha Council sat across from the Hokage. Each of the powerful individuals was weighing Tsunade's words very carefully.

Mitokado Homura, an ancient and bearded Jonin, shook his head. "Tsunade-hime, I agree that this is necessary, but the Military Police has always been an Uchiha institution."

"Homura-san is correct, Tsunade." Danzō leaned on his cane. The heavily bandaged and lame former teammate of the Third Hokage's tone was far too smug for the Hokage's liking. "As long as Uchiha Sasuke remains alive, command of the Police Force should remain unoccupied."

"I declared Uchiha Sasuke a missing-nin this morning. That individual has no bearing on internal Konoha policy."

Danzō glared at Tsunade with his unbandaged eye. "Sasuke was forced from the village by Uzumaki Naruto. I dare say that the Kyūbi Container using its demonic chakra was excessive force. It is possible the Container is now a threat to the security of Konoha…"

"Shizune!" Tsunade barked, cutting off the Elder. The Slug Sanin's apprentice entered the office. "Get Tenzō."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama." Shizune said with significant emphasis on the proper honorific. She quickly left the room.

"Danzō is an Elder of Konoha, Tsunade-hime. It would be wise to show him respect." Utatane Koharu, the aged female member of the Council, practically snapped at the Hokage.

Nara Shikaku decided to join the conversation. "And Tsunade-sama is the Hokage!"

The meeting was growing very tense when Shizune returned to the office with a cat-masked member of ANBU.

The ANBU bowed to the Hokage. "Tenzō reporting as ordered, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade nodded respectfully to the ANBU Captain. "Tenzō, escort Danzō to his home."

"You cannot do this!" Danzō hissed.

"As Jonin Commander Nara reminded us all, I am Hokage. You have forgotten that Konoha _is not an oligarchy_. I am well within my rights. It is well you remind yourself of Konoha's Laws. I will give you a quick refresher course. One, if a shinobi defects to another village and in the process of betraying Konoha leads to the severe injury and near death of his comrades; he is a traitor no matter his name. Second, to be a threat to the security of the Village, one must overtly act against Konoha. Tell me _Danz__ō_, when has Uzumaki Naruto done anything but serve Konoha with every fiber of his being?"

The Elder could only tremble with poorly contained rage. Tsunade smirked. "As I thought."

Tenzō escorted the Elder from the office. Koharu seemed to squint even harder at the Hokage. "You have made a powerful opponent."

Tsunade returned the glare. "He has no official standing in the power structure of Konoha."

"Besides…" Shikaku leaned back in his chair. "The Jonin all support Tsunade-sama. How much support can Danzō drum up?"

* * *

The carriage was stopped at the gates of Konoha. A pair of guards, including one with the strangest eyes Meihui had ever seen, ordered the passengers from their transport.

"Welcome to the Konoha. Please remain where you are while we inspect you all. Chunin Kō, if you would?" The first guard spoke.

Kō, the man with the pale, pupilless eyes, nodded. "Byakugan!"

Meihui gasped in shock. _A Dojutsu! _Kō walked quickly around the wagon, but came to a stop in front of Kenta.

"I will need to see your identification."

Kenta nodded and handed over his papers. The Chunnin read over them quickly; his Byakugan still active. "You are a former Samurai of the Land of Whirlpools. Your documentation is in order and we will permit you to carry your Katana. _However_, we ask you turn over hidden weapons while you are in Konoha."

The first Shinobi stepped forward. "The rest of you, please sign in."

The guests signed in and the Jonin's expression finally relaxed. "Now that the seriousness is over with, please enjoy your stay in Konoha!"

Meihui and Kenta collected their belongings after the Samurai left his daggers with the Konoha ninja. They passed through the gates and entered a bustling and lively city.

"_This _is a hidden village? How… how can they hide such a place?" Meihui stared in awe at the mountain bearing the faces of the village's Kage.

Kenta walked next to the young woman. "Konoha is one of the Five Great Shinobi villages. There is more power concentrated in one of the Great Villages than anywhere else in the world."

"Amazing…" Meihui didn't notice the amused looks she was getting from the Konoha shinobi. "That ninja, did he really have a Dojutsu?"

Kenta rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. "He did indeed. The Byakugan. Kumo's last attempt to secure it nearly caused a war."

The spy's eyes lit up. "We could perhaps gain more than just a Daimyo on this trip…"

Kenta sighed. "Zhuāng Meihui, you must remain focused. The hand that reaches too far is the first to be chopped off."

"You are right, of course. We should focus on finding…"

"**UZUMAKI NARUTO! Get back here!**" A powerful woman's voice echoed through the city. Kenta and Meihui gaped in the direction of the voice. They were shaken out of their stupor by a pair of vested Ninja laughing.

"Naruto called Hokage-sama baa-chan again didn't he?"

The Samurai and the Spy exchanged glances. "Are you sure that we're looking for the right person?"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Finally! The 'Recovery Arc' is over with. Also, things are getting... complicated for everyone. Also, I need a word to represent the exact opposite of Fluff. Cause, I need a term to describe all future Hinata and Sasuke interaction which will generally be defined by hate and attempted murder.

Please Read and Review!


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto dispelled the last Kage Bunshin he had summoned to help clean his room. He looked around his apartment nervously. The Jinchūriki had never invited anyone to his house before. He liked his apartment and felt a little ashamed that he could feel guilty about his home.

_I probably wouldn't be this nervous if I was inviting one of my _other _friends here. It's just… Hinata's a girl._

Naruto opened the door and put on a warm smile. "Hey, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata froze for a moment when Naruto opened the door. Her original shyness had been melting away since the Chunnin exams. However, Naruto was, as Kakashi-sensei, said Konoha's Most Unpredictable Ninja and could throw any plan completely out the window. "Hello, Naruto-kun."

The only time she had seen Naruto wear any clothing approaching formal was the funeral for the Sandaime Hokage. Hinata realized that Konoha's funeral outfit was probably the only truly formal clothes Naruto owned. Hinata looked Naruto up and down. He was wearing civilian style shoes, khaki slacks and an orange long sleeved collared shirt. _I didn't think he could actually get _better _looking._

"Is everything ok, Hinata?" The orphan asked with a tinge of concern.

_God yes!_ "Everything is fine, Naruto-kun. I… I like what you are wearing."

Naruto looked at his clothes. "Really?" Hinata nodded enthusiastically. "Huh, I guess Iruka-sensei was right. He bought these for me for my birthday before I finally graduated. Said they'd make me stand out in Konoha without looking ridiculous."

"You have never looked ridiculous to me." Her hands tightened around the bag she was holding. "Ano, are you ready to start your etiquette lessons?"

Naruto nodded. "Heck yeah! With you teaching me I'll have it down in a week! Uh, please, uh, come in?"

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata beamed. She was shocked, happy but shocked, by Naruto's behavior. "Naruto-kun, if you don't mind… why, why did you decide to wear that outfit?"

"Well, you're teaching me how to not embarrass myself in public and stuff. I thought that I should at least dress in something nice. Since my awesome jumpsuit was destroyed, the only other outfit that wasn't a t-shirt and shorts was my funeral clothes. That probably wouldn't work, so I went with this."

Hinata walked over to Naruto's kitchen and started setting the table. "You… you look v…very good."

"Really?" Naruto blinked a few times. He didn't think he'd ever heard a girl call him good looking before. "Thank you, Hinata-chan."

"You are welcome Naruto-kun."

Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I'm trying my best to get my manners down. Oh, I almost forgot that my air conditioner broke right before the Chunnin exams. Want me to put your jacket in the closet?"

Hinata froze. It was already very warm and would only get warmer without air conditioning. However, she was incredibly body conscious. _Naruto-kun is very kind. He wouldn't intentionally hurt my feelings. _

She gulped and turned around. "T…thank you Naruto-kun." She took off her jacket and handed it to Naruto.

"No problem. I'll be right back!" Naruto bounded out of the room. "So, what exactly will you be…? Wow!"

"W…what is it Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked while turning red as a tomato. Her breath started catching in her throat as she realized Naruto was actually checking her out! Naruto had never checked her out before!

"I never realized you were this pretty!" His enthusiasm turned to worry when his etiquette teacher collapsed. "Oh man! I knew I should have had the AC fixed after before the Chunnin finals!"

* * *

Shizune sat behind _her_ desk and reviewed the genealogy scroll lying in front of her. The Hokage's Assistant noted the somewhat nervous looks the historian was giving her. Her former samurai partner was far calmer. Shizune couldn't blame the woman. Many civilians were fearful in the presence of shinobi. The medic-nin was somewhat embarrassed that she finally understood why Tsunade-sama enjoyed making people squirm so much. It was a power trip.

"These are very detailed family histories, Miss Zhuāng."

Meihui bowed politely. "Thank you, Shizune-san. I have spent the last four years compiling the genealogical information of Whirlpool. As you are likely aware, the Land of Lightning has undertaken a campaign to stamp out our cultural heritage. I wish to keep the history and traditions of the Land of Whirlpools alive."

"That is noble of you. Miss Zhuāng, you no doubt came to Konoha to investigate the large number of Uzugakure refugees that arrived in Konoha decades ago." Shizune traced the lineage of Uzumaki Mito and let her gaze linger on Tsunade's listing.

Zhuāng smiled. "Not only the individuals who came here during the Diaspora. Konoha and Uzugakure always had a very strong alliance. There is no doubt that there are numerous individuals with ties to the Land of Whirlpools here. Many likely have no knowledge they are related to Uzu."

"That is likely. Unfortunately, many of those who arrived in the Diaspora married into other clans or left Konoha. Most of those who uphold the traditions of the Land of Whirlpool are civilians." Shizune said apologetically.

Kenta finally decided to interject into the conversation. "Shizune-san, you said that most are civilians. However, when we arrived in Konoha we heard someone mention one Uzumaki Naruto. Uzumaki is a name that carries great weight back in our homeland. We would be honored if Meihui-san and I were allowed to interview him."

"Why Naruto-kun?"

_So, he has a personal connection to the Hokage._ Meihui noted. "An interview with a Shinobi would help liven up a chapter in my upcoming book more than some old civilians."

Shizune desperately fought back her laugh. _You have no idea how much Naruto would liven things up._ "I will have to speak with the Hokage, but I believe Tsunade-sama would allow it."

"Shizune-san, you have been a magnificent help, but if we could make one final request."

Shizune nodded at Meihui. The other woman smiled. "We would like to study Naruto-san's family history. Kenta and I have searched for an active shinobi with a strong connection to our homeland and Uzumaki Naruto is the first we have found. It would make for an excellent chapter."

The majordomo nearly blanched at the request. There was absolutely no way Naruto's family history could be revealed! At least not yet. Naruto wasn't strong enough to defend himself from Minato and Kushina's enemies. "I… will have to ask Tsunade-sama. Uzumaki Naruto is an orphan and as such all records are under the jurisdiction of the Hokage."

"We understand completely." Meihui jotted down a few notes on a sheet of paper. "Here is our hotel information. We await response from the Hokage, at her convenience of course."

Shizune also wrote down some information. "This is the address of the Whirlpool district. I hope you gather some great information for your book."

"Thank you for your kind words and assistance, Shizune-san."

The Konoha ninja smiled warmly. "You are welcome. If you excuse me, I need to speak with Tsunade-sama."

After Shizune rose from her seat, Kenta and Meihui rose. They bowed to the Hokage's assistant. "We would not wish to interfere with Hokage-sama's schedule. If it is not presumptuous, could you thank her for the hospitality of her village?"

"Of course, good day." Shizune said as she exited the room. She quickly rushed to her master's office and knocked on the door.

"Enter!" Shizune noticed Tsunade's tone and immediately complied.

"Tsunade-sama, I need to speak with you about my last appointment."

The Godaime Hokage sighed and rested her chin on her hands. "The 'historians' from the Land of Whirlpools."

"Yes ma'am. They had incredibly detailed genealogical records for nearly the entire country. Your lineage was also traced." Shizune struggled not to gulp at the look on the Hokage's face. "They also want to interview Naruto-kun. Evidently, his last name caught their attention."

"The Uzumaki name carried great weight in the Land of Whirlpools. Though, why didn't they ask to interview me? I have as strong a connection to Uzu as the brat."

Shizune sighed in relief. "At the beginning of the meeting they said they would love to, but did not think you could find the time. You are a Kage and they are mere civilians. I think they are in awe of your position."

Tsunade smirked. _I guess there are perks to this damn job after all._ "I'll see if I can squeeze them into my schedule. I won't let them near Naruto until I can be assured they aren't connected to Akatsuki."

"Very well, Tsunade-sama." Shizune subtly shifted her weight. Tsunade nodded for her to speak her mind. "They also asked if they could see Naruto-kun's family history. Zhuāng Meihui said she wants to write a chapter just on Naruto-kun."

The Fifth Hokage narrowed her eyes. "Get me an ANBU." Shizune bowed and left without a word.

"They better just be historians." Tsunade growled as she fished for her saké.

* * *

Naruto stared at the strange collection of silverware in front of him. Forks were pretty rare in the Elemental Countries, but were actually fairly common at the upper crust of society. A noble or group that could boast a large set of pure silver forks, spoons and knives was counted amongst the truly wealthy.

"Why are there so many?" Naruto asked while struggling to maintain the posture Hinata had shown him. The blond had silently cursed Ero-Sennin when he realized he had spent more time just looking at Hinata rather than how she was sitting at first.

"Truthfully, Naruto-kun it is to show the wealth and power of the dinner's host. The more courses and silverware a host provides at the dinner; the greater they're standing is."

Naruto nodded. "So… It's kinda like how you can tell what kind of fighter an opposing ninja is by observing their equipment, right Hinata-chan?"

"Exactly." Hinata smiled. Naruto-kun was not only grasping the concepts quickly, but he had been calling her Hinata-_chan_ all day. "Let's practice passing a dish again. Remember, you need to support the dish so that nothing sloshes."

Naruto nodded and picked up a dish they had filled with water for this lesson. He gently picked it up. There was still a bit of movement, but nowhere near as much as when Hinata's lesson had started.

"The, uh, dish you requested, ma'am." Naruto inclined his head like Hinata had told him to.

"Thank you, sir." Hinata responded and accepted the dish. Naruto was amazed that the water stayed perfectly still.

"Wow, Hinata-chan. I can't believe how good you are at this." The blond beamed.

Hinata smiled shyly. "I have had a lot of etiquette practice."

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, I meant teaching. You're as good as Iruka-sensei."

"R…really?" Naruto nodded in the affirmative. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

The boy with aspirations of being Hokage grinned. "Hey Hinata-chan, I just got an idea."

"What is it Naruto-kun?"

"I know where our next lesson should be!"

Hinata was very curious to see what Naruto had in mind. "Where would you suggest?"

"Let's have dinner at some fancy restaurant. It'd be good to practice with real food. Heck, we can even call it a date! You know, to make up for me not being able to visit you that much in the hospital after your fight with Neji. And since I don't know any really nice restaurants you can choose your favorite!"

The world stopped spinning. All sound ceased and even time decided it was time for a break. _Did… did Naruto-kun just ask me out on a date?_

"That, uh, is if you want to…" Naruto asked a bit sheepishly.

"I'd love to!" Hinata shouted.

_I just asked a girl on a date and not only did she say yes, but she was excited about it! I could get use to this!_ Naruto thought in triumph.

* * *

The old woman poured a cup of traditional Land of Whirlpools style tea. Meihui savored the strong aroma. She was pleased to see that Konoha's Little Uzu was so vibrant. The sights and sounds reminded her of home. It helped with the homesickness.

Pan Cuifen, an elderly woman, sat politely across from Meihui and Kenta. "I would like to thank you for the struggle."

"You are welcome. Cuifen-san, we would like to interview members of Little Uzu for a book we are writing." Kenta bowed.

"Of course. I assume that profits from the book will be diverted to the struggle?" Cuifen asked as she stirred her own tea.

Meihui was deadly serious. "Indeed. We also have a mission from the Movement. This is one of the Movement's greatest secrets and cannot be told to anyone you do not trust **completely**. Anyone you do tell must think of themselves as a Whirlpooler first and a citizen of Konoha second."

Cuifen rose from her chair and moved across the room to shut the curtains. "The glare can be so distracting this time of day."

"Thank you, ma'am. My eyes aren't as sharp as they used to be." Kenta nodded politely.

"Tell me, what do you know of Uzumaki Naruto?"

Cuifen shifted uncomfortably. "He bears a terrible burden. I cannot say more because revealing his nature is a capital offense in Konoha. Naruto-san bears it with dignity. I will not say more on his burden He is, however, a cheerful boy despite being shunned for most of his life by the village."

"Most of his life is not all. Is his isolation a recent occurrence or has his acceptance only just begun?" The old Samurai questioned.

"The village has finally begun to see the true Naruto. He defeated the Hyūga Genius, Neji, in the Chunnin Exam finals; it is rumored that he vanquished Shukaku during the Invasion and it is widely known he is responsible for bringing Tsunade-sama back to Konoha." Cuifen spoke with pride.

Meihui sipped at her tea. "He sounds like a truly remarkable child."

"Why are you asking about a single Genin? I know he bears the name Uzumaki, but that is not enough for the Struggle to specifically seek him out." The recognized leader of Little Uzu asked.

"As I mentioned earlier, this cannot be told to anyone you do not trust implicitly." Meihui took a deep breath. "We have evidence that Uzumaki Naruto is the closest living relative to the Old Daimyo."

"I thought the Land of Lightning, Kumo and their Iwa allies killed the entire Royal Line in the Second and Third World Wars!" Cuifen breathed in sharply.

Kenta nodded. "As did we, but it turns out Uzumaki-san is a distant relative. The evidence we have uncovered hints that he is more aligned with the Uzugakure line than the Daimyo's throne, however."

"The hope for an independent Land of Whirlpools has been under my nose the entire time! We had no idea." Cuifen was still in shock over the revelation.

"No one had any idea." Meihi assured the elderly Cuifen. "I believe we have revealed enough earth shattering truths for one tea-time. I would like to interview about your life back in our homeland if you are up to it."

Cuifen smiled. "I would love to speak with you of home."

"If I am not needed, I will take my leave. This would be a marvelous opportunity to get a feel for the Hidden Leaf." Kenta spoke politely.

"Thank you, Kenta-san. I will be fine here in Little Uzu. Enjoy your sightseeing." Meihui teased.

Kenta laughed. "Bah! Even old men deserve a chance to discover new wonders."

* * *

Naruto shut the door after saying goodbye to Hinata. He flopped back in the chair. The lesson hadn't been as horrifyingly tedious as he thought. Hinata had done a good job explaining how everything tied into being Hokage. Naruto had even learned a few interesting facts. Food requiring knives to cut was considered inappropriate in some circles due to the threat of ninja. A ninja or even a skilled common assassin, Hinata revealed, could use the knives as weapons.

"Ninja would totally be sneakier than that!" Naruto scoffed. He then looked at the note Hinata had written. It was the address for the restaurant Hinata suggested. "Might as well check it out."

Naruto decided to take the fast route. He leapt from his window and moved along the roofs. It was later in the afternoon and he wanted to catch Iruka-sensei before he left the Academy. After clearing the residential section of Konoha, Naruto reached what was common referred to as "Blue Blood Central". The blond had rarely entered this region of the Hidden Leaf.

"Gotta admit, this place is kinda nice." Naruto whistled as he took in the perfectly tended Five Star restaurants, expensive shops and wealthy civilian homes. He strolled along the boulevard and eventually found the restaurant Hinata suggested. Mizai wasn't as traditional as Naruto expected for this section of town. He found a bench and sat down. "I really don't want to wait long for someone to show up and go in."

Fortunately for Naruto's sanity, a couple entered the restaurant. The woman wore a very attractive red dress. Naruto fought desperately against Ero-sennin's corrupting influence as he imagined each of his female friends wearing that dress. The last thing Naruto needed was to be caught drooling on his best shirt in the most prestigious civilian area of Konoha. He was already getting annoyed looks as it was. Naruto didn't want it turning into disgust. As he rose to his feet, he recognized where he remembered the man's style from. Gatō had worn something similar. Somehow, the man entering Mizai made the outfit look dignified instead of slimy. _Guess Gat__ō__ is a bad measuring stick for just about everything. _The thought brought up difficult memories of Haku and Wave. Naruto decided he needed to catch Iruka before he went home. The young Genin shocked a small knot of civilians by leaping to the top of a nearby tree and then into the distance.

Naruto had miraculous timing it seemed. Iruka was in the process of locking up the Academy for the day.

"Hey! Iruka-sensei!"

Naruto's favorite teacher turned around and waved. "It's good to see you up and about, Naruto! I'm sorry I couldn't visit you in the hospital. I've been on my own at the Academy the past few days. Hokage-sama hasn't assigned a replacement teacher for Hoshi-sensei."

"No problem, Iruka-sensei! I wasn't in there very long." Naruto shook his head. "Did Gaara ever get to stop by?"

"He did. You're not going to believe what happened." Iruka said with false smugness.

"Considering everything that I've seen, I can believe a good bit." Naruto countered.

"Gaara laughed when Konohamaru asked if Konoha opening an academy in Suna would restart the war."

Naruto stopped dead in his tracks. "**GAARA LAUGHED!"** The outburst caused a few birds to flee their roost in a nearby tree.

"He did indeed." Iruka chuckled at the memory. "So, what brings you here? It must be important considering you are dressed in the clothes I bought you. You know; the ones you swore you'd never wear."

Naruto chuckled lightly. "I, uh, had etiquette lessons with Hinata-chan. They went good and all. I, uh, kinda asked her on a date to a fancy restaurant to 'practice' with real food and stuff. She wants to go to Mizai. I need your help going shopping for appropriate clothes. I don't have anything that fancy."

_Oh thank god, he finally noticed her._ Iruka mentally sighed in relief. "I can help you with the clothes. Unfortunately, I can't help you much with reservations."

"Thanks Iruka-sensei. Don't worry about reservations. I'm going to get baa-chan to help me with that." Naruto flashed a devilish grin.

"Ah, nothing like having a close personal friendship with the Hokage?" Iruka chided.

Naruto shrugged. "I am friends with baa-chan, but I guess I don't think of her as the Hokage sometimes. She's just one of the people I trust. I thought of getting her to set up the reservations because no one wants to piss her off because of her crazy strength."

"Come on, we don't have much time before the stores close." Iruka tried to say without laughing. The teacher had heard Kakashi saying Naruto was easily the most unpredictable ninja he had ever met.

* * *

Kenta entered into a very well-to-do area of Konoha. The district was clearly geared towards the civilian population of the Village hidden in the Leaves. There were many shops boasting a wide selection of clothes and other finery. Kenta had fought against many shinobi during the Fall of Uzu. He never dreamed he would see evidence of a ninja being fashion conscious. Though, Kenta supposed, shinobi were human and as image conscious as any other group of people.

The samurai found a bench and flipped through his notebook. Kenta had found a few businesses owned by individuals who were originally from Whirlpool. The conversations had been productive and would add a good deal to the book. As he slid the notebook back in his jacket, a pair of ninja exited a tailor across the street.

"Iruka-sensei, was all that really necessary? I mean I think they took measurements of everything!" Kenta chuckled as the younger ninja gestured enthusiastically.

"Yes Naruto, it was necessary. You want your suit to fit properly don't you?" The samurai of Whirlpool felt his entire body tense at the name Naruto.

Naruto crossed his arms. "Yeah yeah. I mean, I don't want to embarrass Hinata-chan or Mizai by looking like a bum."

"Hinata _is_ the Hyūga heiress and Mizai is one of the finest restaurants in all of Konoha." Iruka verbally prodded his favorite student. Kenta couldn't believe his luck. He was finding valuable information about the future Daimyo. The Movement had a face to connect with the name. "Naruto, I don't mean to doubt you, but can you really afford this? I can spot you some money if you need it."

"I can afford it, Iruka-sensei. I, uh, kinda had a few transformed Shadow Clones make bets before the Chunnin Exam Finals. I bet on myself and Shino. Made a killing too!" Naruto was nothing like the rumors Kenta had heard regarding Jinchūriki. The child was happy, had numerous personal relationships and was evidently financially stable.

"I can't believe you bet on yourself. That's technically not allowed." Iruka chuckled.

Naruto leaned up against the side of the store. "_Technically_ it was a Shadow Clone. They're independent enough to make their own choices."

"You really are the world's most unpredictable ninja. Come on, we'll head to Ichiraku for dinner. My treat." The teacher smiled.

"Heck yeah ramen!" Naruto whooped and ran off. Kenta rose from the bench as soon as the two left. Meihui needed to know what he had discovered.

* * *

Naruto arrived at the Tower early the next morning. Tsunade had said she would give him one last check up before giving him permission to really train again. He was actually enjoying the lessons with Hinata, but Naruto thrived off action. The urge to get back to physical training was as strong as his ever present urge to eat ramen. Naruto bounded up the stairs and saw Shizune carrying a tray that was likely full of breakfast.

"Good morning Shizune! Let me get the door for you." Naruto was always so full of energy that even early in the morning he was chipper.

"Morning, Naruto?" Shizune was confused but accepted Naruto's offer. Naruto opened the door and the pair entered Tsunade's office.

"Good morning Hokage-sama! Can I borrow a minute of your time?"

Shizune dropped the tray and took a horrified step back. Tsunade instinctively sprang into action.

"RELEASE!" The Hokage shouted at the top of her lungs. Naruto could actually feel the chakra ripple over his body.

"Oi! What the hell was that baa-chan?" Naruto glared.

Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief at the outburst. "Oh thank god, I thought that was a genjutsu for a second there!"

"That's not funny, baa-chan! I was trying to show you that Hinata's lessons were sticking, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted at the pot shot.

The Hokage pulled out a mission slip and filled it out. Naruto looked at it in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"I'm filling out the paper work for Hinata's completed B-rank mission." Tsunade quipped.

Naruto was the only ninja in all of Konoha who could glare at the Hokage like that without getting to experience Tsunade's legendary strength first hand. "So what brings you here so early, brat?"

"Well, you said you'd check to see if I'm clear for training and missions today. That… and I need to ask a small favor." Naruto chuckled nervously.

"I'll give you the examination in a minute. I'm more curious about this 'favor' you're going to beg me for." The Hokage leaned forward and matched Naruto's cheekiest grin.

"Heh, I kinda need you to help me get a reservation at Mizai." Uzumaki Naruto admitted in a humble tone.

Tsunade stared blankly at Naruto for a second before shooting out of her seat. "RELEASE!"

"Damn it baa-chan! Stop doing that!" Naruto hissed. "I asked Hinata-chan if she wanted to go to a fancy restaurant to practice in the real world and to make up for not being able to visit her much during the Chunnin Exams."

"And you want to go to Mizai?" Tsunade asked in disbelief.

"_Hinata-chan_ wants to go to Mizai. Do you honestly think I'd know anything about high class restaurants? Heck, I had to get measured for a suit yesterday." Naruto announced.

"Wait, you're going to be wearing a suit?" Shizune was slowly emerging from her shock.

"I can't exactly go into the nicest restaurant in all of Konoha wearing my jumpsuit can I?" The lone male in the room didn't understand the shock on Tsunade or Shizune's faces.

Tsunade suddenly started laughing. "You know, I'm going to pull some strings and get you two in. However, I want to see you in the suit and I'm going to take photos."

"Ok."

"Huh? You aren't arguing." The Hokage blinked her confusion away.

"Why wouldn't I want pictures? I mean, I'm going to look awesome." Naruto countered.

"Alright, let's get this exam out of the way. We'll get the reservations at lunch."

"Thank you kindly, Hokage-sama." Naruto bowed.

"RELEASE!" Tsunade yelled.

Naruto threw his arms up in the air. "Why do you keep doing that?"

* * *

Imai Yaso sat quietly in her office going filling out an inventory review. Mizai was the finest restaurant in all of Konoha and it took a great deal of work to maintain that position. Yaso sighed in relief as she finished the report. Prices of imports from the Land of Spices were down.

"I really need to thank that Team Seven. The Great Naruto Bridge has really cut down on my expenses…"

Mizai's owner filled the report and was about to start the work schedule when there was a knock at her office door. "Come in."

"Ma'am, you need to come to the front." Sho, the lunch hour host, said breathlessly.

"There can't be a rush. It's Tuesday." Imai idly tugged at her jacket's shoulder.

Sho shook his head. "We aren't being rushed. It's just that… the Hokage is asking for a reservation."

Yaso was already out the door before the frazzled host finished his sentence. The owner stopped before she exited the employee's are of the restaurant. Imai quickly fixed her hair and straightened her small jacket. "Couldn't the Hokage have called? I know the Tower has phones…"

Imai shook off the thought and put her best smile forward. "Good after noon, Hokage-sama. How may I be of assistance?" She finished with a perfect bow.

"I would like to place a reservation, at the first available time, for two." Tsunade smiled warmly.

Imai opened the reservation book. "We have an opening Thursday at 6:00. Will that be acceptable Hokage-sama?"

"I don't know. I am placing it for Uzumaki Naruto and Hinata Hyūga." The Hokage maintained perfect poise. Even her tone was carefully managed to put the hostess at ease.

"That time sounds great, but it's really up to Hinata-chan. If I may have a moment?" Naruto said as he flashed a hand sign. A Shadow Clone popped into existence and Naruto handed it a pair of ryo notes. "Ok, run next door and pick up however many flowers you can buy with this. Next, check with Hinata-chan."

The Clone saluted. "Sure thing boss!" The Shadow Clone rushed out of the door.

"Wait, I recognize your name now! You are the namesake of the Great Naruto Bridge!" Yaso spoke excitedly.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I'm still not sure why they named it just after me. The rest of my team did a lot to help Wave and the citizens of Wave were actually the ones to drive off Gatō's mercenaries after the battle."

The conversation tapered out and a few minutes later, the Shadow Clone returned. "Hinata-chan said the time is perfect. Kurenai-sensei gave us a thumbs-up for the flower thing. Oh, and dog breath called us a filthy liar about the date being at Mizai."

Naruto waved the clone off. "Kiba's just jealous Hinata-chan likes me better."

"So you finally realized it, eh?" Tsunade asked Naruto while Yaso filled in their reservation.

"Figured what out, Tsunade-sama?" Naruto decided to be respectful while in public.

"That Hinata likes you." Yaso smiled at the Hokage's simple declaration.

"Of course she likes me. I mean, she's one of my best friends." Naruto waved off the comment.

"No brat, she _likes you_." Tsunade prodded; hoping to get the truth through Naruto's legendary thick skull.

"I don't think I follow." Naruto scratched at his cheek.

The Hokage pinched her nose. "That's it! I'm giving you a concussion check the second we get back." She grabbed the younger blond and dragged him from the restaurant.

"Thank you for your help, ma'am!" Naruto yelled as the Hokage pulled him through the door.

Yaso could only blink. _That's the hero of Wave and the brat Jiraiya-sama wouldn't stop bragging about last week?_

Iruka finished writing out the assignment on the board and turned around to face the class. "Remember, this reading will be on the test at next Tuesday!"

The class, mainly Konohamaru, groaned at the length. Iruka diverted his attention back to a stack of papers and missed the commotion at the door.

"Hey boss, what's with the bag?" Konohamaru asked. Iruka looked up and saw Naruto standing in the door with a hanging bag over his shoulder.

"A suit. I'm taking Hinata-chan out to dinner." Naruto answered truthfully.

"WHAT! _You _are taking _my_ sister out to dinner?" Hanabi yelled as she pushed her way to Naruto's location.

"Uh, yeah?" Naruto wasn't sure why it was such a big deal.

"And where will you be taking Hinata?" The younger Hyūga questioned.

"Mizai. Our reservation is at six." Naruto shrugged and made his way towards Iruka.

"MIZAI!" _Everyone_ in earshot cried out.

"And you better be paying! If I discover that you are mooching off the Hyūga Clan I will be very cross!" Hanabi growled.

Naruto looked at Hanabi like she had just started going on about fate. "I'm the guy. Why wouldn't I pay?"

"Boss, Mizai is really expensive." Udon sniffled.

"Bah! I can afford it. I made a ton of money betting on my match with Neji and on Shino. Plus Ero-Sennin spotted me a good bit for proofreading the latest Icha Icha book."

Iruka laughed at how casually Naruto spoke of taking the heiress of the most prestigious clan in Konoha out to the most extravagant restaurant in Konoha with money he made off proofreading the most famous book series in the world. "Shouldn't all of you have more important things to do than interrogate Naruto about his date? Like, say homework?"

The students filed out of the room. Only Konohamaru and Hanabi made any passing comments. The Honorable Grandson congratulated Naruto on 'moving on from that banshee with the huge forehead'. Hanabi threatened Naruto with Jūken strikes to unmentionable places if he did not treat Hinata like the Hokage. Iruka was very glad Hanabi knew nothing of the shockingly casual relationship Naruto had with Tsunade.

"I told you Kurosaki's does amazing work." Iruka smiled.

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, it looks great. I just have no clue how to put this thing on."

"Come on, I'll help you out. We can't have you look like a hoodlum for your first date."

* * *

"I wonder if I can rig this to warn me when Jiraiya is peeping at the hot springs." Tsunade mused as she found Iruka heading for the tower. She focused on the teacher because she didn't want to spoil the surprise. Tsunade looked up at the knock on the door.

"Enter."

Shizune poked her head through. "We're ready on our end. Should I send Hinata in?"

"No, the girl deserves an entrance and I want to see the brat's mind melt out of his ears." Tsunade cackled with glee.

"Should I tell Hinata that?" Shizune smiled.

"Of course." Tsuande made a shadow clone. "I'll dispel the Clone when Iruka drags Naruto up here."

The majordomo exited the room and Tsunade finished off the last bit of paperwork for the day. Iruka led Naruto into the Hokage's office.

"Good afternoon, Hokage-sama." Iruka bowed.

Naruto waved with his free hand. "Afternoon, baa-chan!"

Tsunade cast an appraising gaze over her favorite Genin. Naruto was wearing a black suit and white starched shirt. It wouldn't be a Naruto outfit without some orange. The orange quota was met by an orange silk tie and pocket square. "Is that silk? And are those gold cuff links?"

"I think so." Naruto cocked his head to the side.

"They are. I spotted Naruto a bit for the extras." Iruka admitted.

The Hokage smiled and pulled out a camera. "Alright brat. Smile!"

Naruto complied and Tsunade took the picture. "We aren't taking a million are we? I've seen parents take half a million pictures of their kids before. You aren't going to subject me to that are you?"

"Don't worry Naruto. We know you have reservations and can't be late." Tsunade waved off Naruto's concerns. "Oh, you do know that your back is to the door, so holding the flowers behind your back will kill any ideas of surprise you have right?"

"Oh crap!" Naruto gulped and shifted the flowers.

"How are you affording all of this?" Tsunade asked after she was struck by how much this evening would undoubtedly cost.

"I made a ton of money betting on my match against Neji, Shino's match against Gaara's creepy brother and Ero-Sennin paid me for proofreading Icha Icha Journey." The lone Genin confessed.

"Iruka, remind me to kill Jiraiya for exposing Naruto to the Icha Icha series." Tsuande ordered. She suddenly blinked twice. "Ok, Naruto, _now_ put the flowers behind your back and turn around."

Naruto decided to put the flowers on Tsuande's desk and turned to face the door right as Shizune swept into the room. She paused after her grand entrance. "You can come in now, Hinata."

"I… I'm coming." Naruto strained to hear Hinata's voice.

"You have reservations at six. You can't hide in the hallway forever." Shizune reminded Hinata.

"I know." Hinata gulped and slowly entered the room. Tsunade had a mischievous grin when she saw what the Hyūga heiress was wearing. It was a long strapless black dress with a delicate lace frill at the top. Naruto, for his part, felt his mind lock up. He barely managed to force out 'hot' before collapsing in a heap.

"Oh no! I just killed Naruto-kun!" Hinata squealed and rushed to her date's side. Iruka, Tsunade and Shizune all felt a trickle of sweat roll down their temple. _I didn't think she could be as dense as Naruto.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**: I had a blast writing this chapter. If you guys have half as much fun reading this chapter I as had writing it, it'll be an enormous success for me!

A couple pointers: 1. Mizai is an actual restaurant in Kyoto Japan and is a Michelin Three Star Restaurant. 2. Hinata's dress is based off the famous Naruto fanart of all the major female characters in formal black dresses. 3. I decided to have the actual date in the next chapter. The gag I'm going to have surrounding the date would add a couple thousand words and this chapter is already over 6,000 words. Also, the next chapter will end the 'stuck in Konoha' arc and we'll advance to the arc based off the Bikochu arc.

I'd like to thank a few reviewers: Kurtulmak, Rose Tiger, KaliAnn, Trilonias and Omegalus. You guys rock.

Also, MkTerra wins the "Opposite of Fluff" naming. He suggested brick. It's hilarious. Here's my explanation of why it works so well. When you get hit by Fluff, it's gentle, playful and brings to mind pillow fights and other happy thoughts. When you get hit by a Brick, chances are the person hates you and will be robbing you.


	6. Chapter 6

Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon pushed aside the branches of the bush they were hiding in. They were across the street from the Hokage's Tower. The Konohamaru Ninja Squad was in position to 'escort' the Boss and his new and improved girlfriend on their date. Udon had actually made the suggestion. It was obvious that the Boss would need someone to keep people from interfering with his night.

"Konohamaru-kun, have they left the Tower yet?" Moegi asked idly.

"Nah, I don't think so. If they want to make the best time to Mizai, they'll have to leave through the main entrance of the Tower. I don't think we've missed them."

"You haven't. They are still in the tower." A silky voice caused the self-proclaimed apprentices of Uzumaki Naruto to jump out of their skin.

Konohamaru whirled around and pointed a finger at the intruder. "Dang it, Hanabi! What the heck are you doing here?"

"That's Hanabi-sama to you! I'm the heiress to the Hyūga Clan and the Number One Ninja in our class! And to answer your question, I'm here for the same reason you guys are!" Hanabi was indignant at the lack of respect!

"Uh, Hanabi-sama… Why do you care about making sure the Boss has a good date?" Udon sniffled.

"Because your 'Boss' isn't the only one on the date! My sister is also on this completely unauthorized date! Hinata hasn't been this happy in a long time! I'm not going to let some idiot ruin it for her!" Hanabi spoke with passion and authority.

"I'm glad to hear that, Hanabi-chan. I just have one question." Moegi asked excitedly.

"Oh?" Hanabi's tone switched from 'heiress of Konoha's Warrior Clan' to 'girly girl' in a heartbeat.

"Where did you get those clothes? I like them." The girls started chatting away. Udon's eyes glazed over in boredom and Konohamaru cleared his throat.

"FOCUS LADIES!" The girls turned an angry glare on Konohamaru. "Can Udon and I count on you to help us out?"

Hanabi rose from her sitting position and straightened her red blouse before adjusting her matching beret. "Of course!"

"Konohamaru, why do I have the sudden urge to let Hanabi be in charge?" Udon asked nervously.

"Cause she'd kick our buts with her Jūken and consider it a relaxing Tuesday? Oh, and the fact that Moegi will _probably _take her side." Konohamaru whispered to his best friend.

"Yeah, those two are forming a pack. We wouldn't stand a chance." Udon agreed.

"Konohamaru! Udon! Come on, we have to make sure no one ruins my sister's date!" Hanabi stamped her foot.

The four Academy students crawled out of the bush and were suddenly overwhelmed by an ominous presence. "So, Hinata-sama is on a _date_."

"N…neji-niisan!" Hanabi sputtered. Her prodigy of a cousin and his team had somehow materialized outside the bush.

"Well, who had the guts to actually ask Hiashi-sama for permission to date Hinata?" Neji's female teammate, Tenten asked with amusement dancing on every syllable.

"That… that is part of the reason we're 'observing' the date. No one asked father's permission." Hanabi confessed. Konohamaru and his friends were too intimidated by Neji's harsh stance, the huge number of scrolls labeled 'weapons' Tenten carried and Lee's spandex to say anything.

"What? There is no one in Konoha who would be willing to risk Hiashi-sama's wrath like that!" Neji spat out in disbelief.

"Oh crap! Here they come!" Moegi panicked. The two groups jumped back into the bush.

"I want that dress!" Hanabi and Moegi squealed as Hinata and Naruto emerged from the Hokage's Tower.

"Shush, they're headed this way." Konohamaru whispered harshly. Naruto and Hinata walked towards the Civilian Quarter hand in hand. The couple was chatting happily and oblivious to the nearly everything around them.

"Oh good, it's Naruto. This means I probably won't have to kill anyone tonight." Neji breathed a sigh of relief.

The four Academy students laughed nervously while hoping Neji was _mostly_ joking. Tenten held out her hand and Lee somehow produced a ryō note.

"I've seen everything now. Who do you think got Naruto into a suit?" Tenten put the bill away.

"Mizai wouldn't have let him in the door without a suit." Moegi admitted.

"I don't mean to harbor unyouthful doubts about a friend, especially one who is a fellow genius of hard work like Naruto-san, but how is he affording all this?" Lee questioned as he strained to follow Naruto and Hinata.

"We'll explain on the way." Konohamaru crawled out of the bush. "Come on, they'll get away before we can get into position."

Team Guy, Hanabi and the Konohamaru Ninja Squad bolted along the roofs. The seven were completely unaware they were far from the only people taking interest in Naruto and Hinata's night.

* * *

Naruto had faced down S-Ranked Missing Ninja, Gaara of the Desert, the One-tailed Bijū, Orochimaru, an angry Tsunade and Uchiha Sasuke. Those battles had been terrifying, but Naruto had always had an unshakable confidence that he would succeed. After all, he couldn't die until he had achieved his dream of being Hokage!

This situation caused Naruto to feel completely out of his depth. Naruto wasn't on a mission expecting to be ambushed by enemy ninja or bandits. He was on a _date_. Naruto had always wanted to go on a date, but he had always thought it'd be with Sakura-chan at Ichiraku's. That hadn't happened. Sakura-chan seemed to be drifting further and further away. _Sasuke leaving must have hit her harder than I thought._ Instead, his date was with Hinata-chan at Mizai's. It wasn't what Naruto had expected, but he realized it was what he wanted.

A small part of him still felt like he was betraying Team Seven. _Am I betraying Team Seven or am I the only one who really believed in it to begin with?_ Naruto shook that thought off. _I thought enough in the hospital. To hell with this! I'm _not _going to ruin anything for her tonight!_

"Hinata-chan." Naruto started to speak. The blond took a quick breath. "Thank you."

The simple 'thank you' caught the Hyūga girl completely off guard. Naruto simply smiled. "You've done so much for me the last few days. Visiting me in the hospital, saving my taste buds from the inhuman agony of hospital food, teaching me manners…, being my friend. And that's just recently. I'm embarrassed I haven't thanked you _enough_ for the cream after my fight with Kiba or your pep talk right before the Chunnin exam finals. There was no way I would have wiped the floor with Neji if you hadn't called me a proud failure. Those words saved my life."

Hinata choked back the urge to cry. "Naruto-kun… you… you don't have to thank me. I… I am just trying to repay you for all the times _you_ saved _me._ I… I don't know if I would have survived my fight with Neji-nii-san without your support. And you saved me long before that. Just your… just your smile gave me the will to keep going."

"I… I never knew. I guess I'll just have to keep smiling then!" Naruto said as he gave Hinata's hand a reassuring squeeze.

_Never stop, Naruto-kun. _Hinata thought when she couldn't find her voice.

* * *

Neji grumbled as he read Naruto and Hinata's lips using his bloodline limit. "Stop making it sound like _I'm_ a bad guy. And Naruto _didn't _wipe the floor with me."

"Uh, Neji-san… you did say you wouldn't kill the Boss tonight right?" Konohamaru gulped.

"I said probably, Konohamaru-san. That's not the same as won't." Neji snapped.

"My eternal rival, I am sure your cousin would appreciate it if you did not attempt to slay her date tonight." Lee said in an attempt to placate his genius teammate.

"Fine, I'll do it tomorrow." Neji huffed.

* * *

Sakura was walking along with Team Ten and enjoying the crisp fall weather. Her training was progressing at a pace she didn't think possible. _I'll never hold anyone back again!_

"Oh my god, Forehead! I think I'm seeing things!" Ino squeaked.

Sakura looked in the direction of Ino's gleeful pointing. "Is that… Naruto in a _suit?_" The kunoichi of Team Seven could hardly believe her eyes. Uzumaki Naruto wearing a formal suit used to be high on her 'things that will never happen' list. However, after Sasuke's betrayal, Sakura knew she shouldn't be surprised by anything. It took her a fraction of a second to process that Naruto was with Hinata. _Thank god. One more push and I'll free him from the promise._

Chōji chugged a protein drink. "I don't believe it! That _is_ Naruto in a suit! If he wasn't on a date, I'd ask him where he got it."

"Really? You'd wear a suit?" Ino wheeled around giddily.

"Yeah. Problem is, I'd have to wait until I'm back to normal. It'd be a shame to spend that amount of money on a suit and never be able to wear it again." The Akimichi heir shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh." Ino frowned for a half a heartbeat. "When you go pick it out, I'm coming with you!"

"I'd like that!" Chōji, admirably, fought off the urge to fist pump triumphantly. "So… are we going to follow Naruto and Hinata?"

"Chōji, you're an even bigger genius than Shika over there!" Ino was practically bouncing at the thought of spying on Hinata and Naruto.

"Tch, this is far too troublesome. I'm going home to play shoji with dad." Shikamaru said lazily.

"Ah… someone misses their girlfriend." Ino drew out each word. Shikamaru huffed and stuffed his hands into his pockets before walking off. "So, you coming Forehead?"

"You bet, Ino-pig." Sakura grinned. Her excitement wasn't centered on simply spying on her friends and collecting new gossip. Sakura knew that if Naruto had a good date and realized the opportunity he had with Hinata that he'd drift away from her in a romantic sense. She hoped, no, she _knew_ Naruto would remain her friend. It was the kind of truly wonderful person Naruto was.

The change would be hard but, it would set Naruto free. And in the end, that was all that mattered.

* * *

In the Hokage's Tower, Tsunade watched her 'grandson's' date with great interest. The Sannin was pleased so far with Naruto's behavior. The brat wasn't acting like an orphan trained by the world's most notorious pervert. Tsunade was very pleased to see that he was acting like a complete gentleman. The door to her office opened and Iruka and Shizune strolled in. Iruka carried a bowl of popcorn and Shizune followed closely behind with a tray of drinks.

"Iruka, I take it you coached Naruto on how to behave tonight?" Tsunade smiled, not only at the question, but at the sight of Naruto leaning close and whispering something to Hinata.

"I did, Hokage-sama." Iruka answered. "He's not acting out is he?"

"He's acting like a perfect gentleman." Tsunade's face suddenly became deadly serious. "What the hell did you tell him to get him to act so polite? As your Hokage, I demand to know how you did it!"

"I, uh, told him to think about how Jiraiya-sama would act during the date." The two women in the room glared daggers at the teacher. "And do the _exact_ opposite."

"Good man." Tsunade grinned.

* * *

Mizai was one of the most exclusive restaurants in all of Konoha and was a late night destination for the village's wealthiest and most influential ninja and civilians. The restaurant opened for two hours at lunch before closing until six in the evening for dinner. Securing a reservation late in the evening demonstrated high social standing and connections. This was not to say early evening reservations signified lower standing. Mizai was, after all, Mizai. There were a few _advantages_ to the earlier reservations, especially on a 'slower' night like a Thursday.

Namely privacy.

The doors to the restaurant opened and Imai bowed as the young couple entered. "Good evening, Naruto-san and Hinata-sama. I hope such a lovely couple is having a wonderful evening."

The two teens flushed a bit at the greeting. Naruto fought back the urge to scratch the back of his head with his free hand. "Good evening Imai-san. Tonight's been unforgettable."

The hostess and owner felt her smile broaden as Hinata's blush intensified. "Well, I shall show you to your table. Please, follow me."

The table was in the corner of the restaurant. Naruto remembered Hinata's lessons and made sure Hinata had the best view of the dining area.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata said with a smile. She was glad Naruto had remembered the lessons. However, the greatest source of her happiness was that Naruto still had his trademark enthusiasm. Naruto wasn't simply following the rules of etiquette like they were a taijutsu kata. His every action was smooth, natural and most importantly, warm.

_Naruto-kun's treating this like a _real date_ and not just a lesson!_

"You're welcome, Hinata-chan." Naruto responded as he took his seat. Imai handed each shinobi their menus. After Hinata and Naruto gave their drink orders, Naruto took a deep breath. "This has to be the fanciest place I've ever been to. Not even some of the casinos Er… Jiraiya-sensei and I searched for ba… Tsunade-sama in were this nice."

"I would love to hear more about your mission to bring Tsunade-shishō back to Konoha. I've only heard the official report." Hinata spoke with a bit of awe in her voice.

_Man, those etiquette lessons got one thing wrong. _I've _got the best view tonight. Oh no! I haven't even gotten a _letter _from Ero-sennin in nearly a week and I'm still thinking like him! Iruka-sensei's going to chew me out!_

* * *

"I'll admit it. I'm a bit impressed." Kiba whistled. Akamaru yipped in agreement. The Inuzuka had doubted whether Naruto would actually take Hinata to Mizai's. Kiba originally thought that Konoha's most infamous prankster was playing some sort of cruel joke on Kiba's quasi-adopted sister-figure. Even the stoic Aburame Shino expressed a 'degree of concern' about the date. It was only natural then, that as Hinata's older brother stand-ins, Shino, Akamaru and Kiba would 'observe' how Naruto treated her tonight.

And kick Naruto's ass if he broke Hinata's heart.

"It appears as if Naruto-san is not simply treating the evening as a continuation of his etiquette training. Why? I believe our comrades believe this is a true date." Shino analyzed his teammate and her date/student's actions.

"Yeah, yeah." Kiba waved his hand dismissively. "What I really want to know is how Naruto's affording all of this. I mean, that's a pretty kick-ass suit and Mizai sure as hell ain't cheap."

"Naruto-san, and I, both made considerable amount betting on the Chunnin exam finals." Shino confessed. Akamaru barked out a question. Kiba shook his head as he laughed.

"You? Betting? I don't believe it."

Shino sighed and recalled the meeting he had with Naruto in the hospital prior the blonde's release.

_Shino's hives buzzed as he entered Naruto's hospital room. The hyperactive Genin's presence always seemed to put the kikai on edge for the briefest of periods. All of Shino's attempts to ascertain the specific stimuli that instigated the reaction had failed. None of his fellow Aburame wished to discuss the true nature of Uzumaki Naruto. Shino had begun to develop a number of somewhat troubling theories, but he had not had the opportunities to gather the necessary observational data. _

"_How are you doing Shino?" Naruto asked suddenly and drew Shino's attention from his analysis. _

"_I am physically fine. Emotionally? I am ashamed that I was not able to assist my comrades in the attempt to retrieve Uchiha Sasuke." Shino confessed._

"_Everyone survived and we'll get other opportunities to get Sasuke back. I know that the next chance we get; you'll be right beside us, Shino. You're a good guy to have watching our backs." Naruto's undeniable sincerity and utter conviction caused an unforeseen swell of emotion in Shino._

"_Thank you for your confidence and understanding, Naruto-san." Shino bowed his head and felt the relief of his colonies._

"_Well, I know what'll help you emotionally a bit. The killing we made on our bets." Naruto whispered conspiratorially._

"_What were our profits?" Shino couldn't contain his curiosity._

"_Oh… only nine and a half thousand Ry__ō_each_." Naruto said offhandedly._

_Shino stood silently as he confirmed that his hearing was not impaired. "That… is a substantial amount."_

"_Heck yeah it is. I'm going to save mine. I really haven't had much money before, so I'd like to have a 'safety net'. What are you going to do with your cash?"_

_Shino nodded. "Your course of action is prudent." _Far more prudent than I would give you credit for, Naruto-san. _Shino admitted to himself. "I believe that I shall invest in some interesting property to the north of Konoha. The particular region of forest is a breeding ground for many rare and beneficial insect species."_

"_Thanks and that's awesome, Shino!" Naruto held out his hand. "Pound it?"_

_Shino stared at Naruto's outstretched fist for a moment before punching his own fist against it. The Aburame Genin fixed Naruto in place with a serious glare. "This never leaves room."_

"_Wouldn't dream of it. Your money is with Old Man Teuchi at Ichiraku Ramen Stand. Don't worry, he made even more money than we did betting on the two of us, so he hasn't touched it." Naruto reported._

_Shino nodded and left. He was thankful for his trench coat. The amount of money he was going to be carrying around would likely draw a great amount of attention. Still, it would certainly be enjoyable._

Kiba was growing impatient as his teammate simply stared in the direction of the restaurant. Suddenly, he spoke. "Yes, Kiba-san. I had Naruto-san place several, very successful, bets."

"Who would have ever thought?" Kiba shook his head in utter disbelief.

* * *

Naruto whistled as he washed his hands. He couldn't believe how incredible tonight was. The food was great. Hinata _looked_ great. _Damn it Ero-sennin! _Naruto quickly thought as an image of Hinata in her dress flashed to the front of his memory. Naruto was doubly thankful he hadn't screwed anything up yet.

Most importantly, Hinata seemed to be having a great time. _I don't think I've seen her smile this much, ever._

"Yo."

"Oh, hey Kakashi-sensei. How are you tonight?" Naruto asked as he dried his hands. The sudden realization that his Jonin instructor was somehow directly behind him hit Naruto like one of Gamabunta's landings. "Holy!"

Kakashi quickly slapped his hand over his student's mouth. "Shh… Don't want to disturb your date. Nice catch by the way."

"Oi! Hinata-chan isn't a _catch!_ She's my date and friend! Don't act like she's some object!" Naruto hissed.

"Sorry, didn't think you'd get so worked up." Kakashi apologized.

"How did you get in here and more importantly, why?" Naruto quizzed his commanding officer.

"First, I was an ANBU captain for ten years. Do you really think I can't sneak into the bathroom of a restaurant that caters to civilians? Second, I just want to wish you luck and that I hope you have a good time tonight."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. He had forgotten that Kakashi-sensei had been a legend in ANBU. "Point and thanks."

"You're welcome! Now, get back to your date! Oh, and don't forget to mention how she looks! Women love compliments!" Kakashi said before disappearing in a swirl of wind, leaves and hand cloths.

Naruto sighed before a scary thought entered his mind. If Kakashi-sensei was spying on his date with Hinata-chan, who else was? "Oh god, please don't let Neji or her dad be out there!"

* * *

Iruka shook his head as he watched Kakashi Body Flicker away. "I hope no one else interferes with Naruto's first date."

Iruka tensed when he felt a finger run down his cheek. "Aw… you sound so… fatherly…" He gulped as Tsunade whispered in his ear.

"T…Tsuande-sama… are… are you hitting on me?" Iruka barely managed to force out.

"_Maaaaybe."_ Tsunade said with a slight slur to her words.

* * *

Hinata quietly finished her meal while throwing the occasional glance at Naruto. Several times tonight, she had felt the urge to pinch herself. The entire evening seemed to be a dream. Her crush had asked her out to dinner. Naruto was the model of perfect manners. Hinata had always drawn her confidence from Naruto, but this new experience flowed from a slightly different source. Naruto wouldn't have achieved this _without Hinata's help_. She had helped Naruto take another step closer to his dream!

"Naruto-kun…" She whispered as she looked up.

"Yes, Hinata-chan?" He smiled warmly.

"Tonight… I… I have enjoyed every moment of it. I'll always treasure the memories we've created." The heiress confided in Naruto.

"So have I." Naruto took a deep breath to collect his thoughts. "I… I would love to have the honor of a second date sometime."

Hinata froze in place. "I… I would love that too." _Naruto-kun wants a second date! But we'll have to figure out a way to approach my father. I'll tell Naruto-kun about that later. No need for him to panic in the middle of the restaurant._

"Thank you, Hinata-chan. I, uh, didn't really have the opportunity earlier, but… But you deserve to know how beautiful you look." Naruto was uncharacteristically shy.

Hinata blushed furiously. "You… you are too kind, Naruto-kun."

"I take after the best." Naruto reached across the table and took Hinata's hand.

* * *

Meihui sipped at her tea while Kenta passively smoked on his pipe. The old samurai had informed her of Uzumaki Naruto's date with the heiress of the Hyūga clan. Meihui had trouble believing someone who was a clanless orphan would be able to court the eldest daughter of the most prestigious clan in all of Konoha. Though, the Land of Whirlpools spy supposed that Naruto's personal relationship with the Hokage granted him some political leeway.

"Kenta, how exclusive is this Mizai restaurant?"

"Exceptionally. I asked several Konoha citizens about the establishment. It is widely considered the most prestigious restaurant in the entire city." The retired warrior answered after a satisfied puff.

"This Naruto must be an amazing individual." Meihui savored both her tea and the constant discoveries regarding Naruto.

"I would say so." Kenta said as he stared into the distance. "And there he is. Naruto and the Hyūga will be passing to your left."

Zhuāng nodded. She watched intently as a cute, and impeccably dressed, young couple walked by. Meihui smiled at how happy they looked together. _It may be self-serving, but I think discovering he's royalty will help young Naruto. _Instinctively, she wished for the boy's happiness. _Guowei would be this age._ "Uzumaki-sama certainly looks like royalty. He even has a princess."

The old samurai smiled. "Indeed he does."

* * *

Normally, Naruto loved seeing the Hokage's Tower. It was the physical representation of his dream; even more so than the Mountain. One day, his face would be on that monument. The tower would always be the tower. Naruto knew it was one of the few constants in his life.

And right now, Naruto wasn't sure he wanted to walk through the doors. The second he passed through the doors, hand in hand with Hinata, the night would be over. Baa-chan, Shizune-nee-chan and Iruka-sensei would be begging them for details and trying to get Naruto and Hinata to embarrass themselves.

"I hope you had a great night, Hinata-chan." Naruto ended the comfortable silence.

"It… it was wonderful, Naruto-kun. I… I don't think I'll ever forget it." Hinata spoke dreamily. _Should I? _Can _I?_

"Awesome!" Naruto was about to say more. He wanted to tell Hinata how grateful he was for agreeing to go on the date with him. Naruto was going to mention how her quiet, pointed looks of disapproval did more to whip him into shape during his lessons than any amount of pummeling from Sakura or Ino could have ever done. There was so much his racing mind was preparing to say.

It all flew out the window the instant Naruto realized Hinata had just kissed his cheek.

* * *

"So… did you guys follow Naruto and Hinata around all night too?" Tenten was the first to find her voice when the remainder of the Konoha 11, Konohamaru, Meogi, Hanabi and Udon ran into each other outside of the Hokage's Tower. Everyone either mumbled the affirmative or nodded. The girls migrated towards each other to gossip. Shino and Kiba walked over to Neji.

"Think we'll have to kick Naruto's ass later?" Kiba asked casually.

"I don't think so. Hinata-sama seemed to be genuinely happy. Naruto appeared to treat Hinata-sama with respect and was not forward. No, I don't believe we'll have to kill Naruto." Neji admitted after a moment's thought.

"As long as he treats my teammate with respect and dignity, I have no issue with Naruto-san and Hinata-san pursuing a relationship." Shino stated.

"Know who might have a problem with it though?" Hanabi chimed in from the knot of girls. All conversation stopped. "Otou-sama."

"What do you mean? Why would Hiashi-sama have a problem with it?" Chōji asked between a handful of chips.

"It seems that Naruto failed to secure Hiashi-sama's permission before beginning to court Hinata-sama." Neji revealed to the group.

"Oh no, Hiashi's going to kill Naruto!" Ino cried out in panic.

* * *

After a twenty minute interrogation, Tsunade ordered Shizune to escort Hinata back to the Hyūga compound and Iruka to take Naruto home.

"Shizune, if Hiashi says anything, I want you to remind him Hinata completed a B-rank mission. If he has a problem with it, he can bring it up with me!" Tsunade smirked.

Shizune bowed. "Of course, Tsunade-sama."

"Good night, Hinata-chan!" Naruto shouted before Hinata reached the door. The Hyūga heiress waved shyly.

"Good night, Naruto-kun." Hinata said while fighting off a blush. Naruto sighed wistfully as he watched Hinata leave. Tsunade's amused snort brought his attention back to the Hokage.

"What was that all about, baa-chan?"

"Oh, I'm just _soooo_ pleased by how well you did tonight. You had so much fun and were so well behaved." The Slug Sannin bragged.

"You… didn't spy on our date like Kakashi-sensei did?" Naruto almost pleaded.

"Of course not! We, uh, could just tell by how you and Hinata acted when you arrived tonight!" Iruka loudly cut off the Hokage.

"Oh, ok." Naruto accepted Iruka's cover up.

"Alright, brat. Time for you to go home. Iruka-kun, make sure he gets to his house _without_ stopping by the Hyūga compound."

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but Iruka's sudden grip on his shoulder stopped Naruto in his tracks. The teacher bowed. "I will be happy too, Hokage-sama."

The Academy instructor led Naruto down the stairs. The second the pair exited the Tower, Naruto turned to his father figure. "So… baa-chan got drunk tonight and started calling you _Iruka-kun, _eh?"

"Not. One. Word." Iruka used his Big Head Genjutsu to erase Naruto's thoughts of pressing the issue.

It didn't stop him from laughing at Iruka's blush.

* * *

The sun had no sense of timing. Naruto was firmly convinced the burning orb in the sky lived to taunt him. The blond Genin wordlessly groaned as he rolled out of bed. Naruto went about his morning rituals with the most enthusiasm he had since before the Valley of the End. He felt a phantom pain in the spot where Sasuke's Chidori pierced his chest. Naruto sighed and looked away from the window. His eyes found his way to the closet. The sight of his suit and the memories from his date eased, but didn't quite erase, the pain in his chest.

Naruto worked his way to the roof of his apartment and started his morning warm-ups. In the middle of his one-armed push-ups, Kakashi-sensei arrived.

"Morning, Naruto." The Jonin said idly while flipping the page in his favorite book.

"Good morning, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said after grunting out the next number in his count. "What's up?"

"Nothing really. The Hokage wants to see you. Something about a possible mission." The Copy Nin waved his hand dismissively. Hatake was grinning behind his mask in anticipation of Naruto's excited outburst.

"We've got a mission! Alright!" Naruto leapt into the air and actually did a quick dance. His instructor's anticipation was not misplaced.

"Actually, Naruto… the mission isn't for Team Seven. _You_ were requested personally."

"Huh?" The boy asked dumbly. "Requested me? Who?"

Kakashi eye smiled as he put away his book. "Well, I guess you'll find out when you get to the Tower."

"Sure thing, thanks Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted as he leapt from building to building.

"Well, if I'm here, I better make sure he doesn't repeat that sour milk mistake…" Hatake Kakashi mumbled as he slipped through the window to Naruto's apartment.

The apartment's owner reached the Hokage's Tower in near record time. _I can't believe how quickly I got a mission! I can't wait!_

"Morning Hokage-sama!" Naruto practically roared as he came through the window. Tsunade greeted him with a light finger flick, one that only caused a small bruise and didn't send Naruto skidding across the floor.

"One out of two. Hinata, next time you give this brat some lessons; I want you to remind him of the modern and mysterious invention known as a door." Tsuande groaned.

"Yes, Tsunade-shishō." Hinata bowed.

Naruto's face lit up and he forgot all about his bruise. "Good morning Hinata-chan!"

"G…good morning Naruto, kun." Hinata replied.

"You two can catch up later. You all have a briefing." Tsunade snapped. "Take a seat, brat."

Naruto took a seat next to Hinata and finally realized that Shino and Kiba were also present. "Morning Shino, Akamaru, Dog-breath."

Kiba narrowed his eyes and was about to fire off a reply when the Hokage cleared her throat. "I have a C-rank mission for all of you. I am not sure if you are aware, but Shino-kun recently purchased a large section of the forests north of the village. The Aburame have recently brought an item to my attention. Shino, if you could give a quick explanation…"

Shino stood up and faced his comrades. "My Clan has reviewed our extensive records on the region I purchased. Our research postulates that the region is the breeding ground of a rare and incredibly potent species of insect, the Bikōchū. Securing a sample of this breed would provide a strategic resource for the village."

Kiba raised his hand and was acknowledged by both the Hokage and Shino. "Shino, buddy, I know your clan uses bugs extensively to do some really top notch jutsus. I just don't see how one bug breed could be considered a strategic asset."

"Your doubt is understandable, Kiba-san. However, the Bikōchū has incredible tracking abilities. Its sense of smell is almost as acute as one of your clan's ninken."

Kiba scoffed at the idea, but his reply was cut off by the Hokage. "There is more. Jiraiya's intelligence network has recently uncovered evidence that the Kamizuru clan of Iwagakure may have deployed agents to secure the Bikōchū."

The Genin suddenly tensed. Iwagakure was one of Konoha's greatest enemies. Only Otogakure was a more imminent threat.

"Ano, Tsunade-shishō… if Iwagakure has deployed Shinobi, shouldn't this be a B or even A-rank mission?" Hinata asked.

"Normally, yes, this would be a higher ranked mission. However, Jiraiya has not secured any concrete evidence that the Kamizuru have mobilized. Even if the clan _did_ deploy some shinobi, their numbers would be limited. The Kamizuru have only recently recovered from their decimation at the hands of the Aburame clan three decades ago. I have taken precautions, though. You each will be equipped with specialized flares. I have placed two Chunnin squads on standby to deploy in the event the flares are launched." The Fifth Hokage explained.

"That's all well and good, Hokage-sama. But why isn't Shino's clan deploying in strength to protect our territory?" Kiba translated Akamaru's barks and growls.

"My clan cannot deploy in numbers for at least another week. The youngest Aburames are receiving their first colonies and several of our more senior members are bonding with their second or even third colonies." Shino confessed.

"Are there any further questions?" The Slug Sannin asked.

"Just one Tsunade-sama." Naruto piped up. The Hokage flashed Hinata a thumbs up.

"Yes, Naruto?" Tsunade asked.

"When do we leave?"

* * *

**Author's Notes**: And Chapter Six is _GO!_

A reminder, the section that almost entirely in _italics_ in the scene where Shino and Kiba are keeping an eye on the date is a flashback.

And boy, how much of a shock are Meihui and Kenta in for when they see what Naruto's _normally _like? :D

Thank you all for the incredible response to the last chapter! I hope this chapter is as entertaining as the last one.

Oh, and an internet cookie to anyone who can guess who Hanabi's channeling in the first scene!


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto was bolting through the streets of Konoha in an excited daze. Today, he was going on his first mission since the attempt to bring back Sasuke. The outcome of that mission still stung, but everything was already turning around! The entire recovery team had survived the mission. Naruto would be forever grateful to baa-chan, Gaara, Gaara's creepy puppet-using brother and Temari for saving his friends. Then, there was Hinata's training. It had kept him sane while waiting for baa-chan to clear him for mission. Naruto would have never thought that learning how to hold a fork or what to talk about over dinner would help him become Hokage. Hinata had shown him how manners could be used when Naruto earned the Hat. _Man, if Iruka-sensei's lectures tied everything to becoming Hokage like Hinata-chan's lessons, I might have actually paid attention!_ _I would have _really _paid attention if she wore that dress every day. _Naruto stopped in his tracks and shook his fist at the sky. Ero-sennin wasn't even in Konoha and his perversion was still contagious. Naruto quickly pushed aside his internal rant against useless perverts and focused on the mission he was leaving on. Shino had said this Bikōchū had an incredible sense of smell. After the briefing, the Aburame had told Naruto that the bugs never forgot a scent! If Naruto could get one to smell Sasuke's hitai-ate; then finding and bringing the smug bastard back would be so much easier!

The Jinchūriki smiled broadly as he leapt from a building. He was entering his favorite civilian section of Konoha. It was called Lil'Uzi or something. Naruto really didn't pay attention to it. The people here treated Naruto like a person and some shops even gave him a discount. To Naruto, that was all that mattered. They treated him like a person.

"Hey, Hong-san!" Naruto shouted as he barged into the weapons shop. Naruto paused as he heard a conversation in the back die down and the shifting of chairs.

"Naruto! I'll be there in a minute!" Hong called out from the back.

"Ok." The Blond looked around and debated buying the Fūma Shuriken that had taunted him for over a year. He finally had the money to buy it after all his missions and the bets he had made. Naruto smiled as Old Man Hong strolled into the front of the store.

"Good morning, Naruto. What can I get for you today?" The weapon-smith asked cheerfully. Hong was a good guy in Naruto's book. The weapons maker always had a smile on his face that seemed all the brighter because of the dark layer of soot and smoke that always seemed to follow him around. Naruto had always wondered how he could stand working next to a hot forge for hours and hours.

_I guess it's just like being a ninja is for me. _

"I need twenty shuriken, ten kunai and fifteen feet of wire." Naruto rattled off his list.

"Alright, give me a minute and I'll bring them out. Oh, I have someone who you might want to meet." Hong said as he walked to the back of his shop.

"They, uh, aren't someone I've pranked are they?" The prankster asked nervously.

"No, he is writing a book." Hong called from the back of the store.

"Oh no! He's not a pervert like Ero-sennin is he?" Naruto involuntarily took a step back. Jiraiya was the only author he knew and the Toad Sage's nature had tainted Naruto's perceptions of writers.

"I assure you, I am not a pervert." A slightly offended voice responded. "I am a historian and samurai of the Land of Whirlpools." The voice shifted from offended to proud.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. The shinobi decided to good look at the man. He had never samurai. This Samurai had several facial scars and had clearly seen many battles. Naruto stood on his toes to catch a glance of his sword.

"Oh ok. I guess when I hear 'author' I think Ero-sennin." Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Is it true you push chakra through your swords?"

"That is correct. My name is Tsao Kenta." Kenta bowed low. It allowed him to smile triumphantly without the boy seeing his grin.

"Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage!" Naruto posed, in his mind, heroically. "What kind of book are you writing?"

"As I said, I am a historian. The book I am helping to write is about the citizens of the Land of Whirlpools living outside of our homeland." Kenta explained.

"Cool, I guess. I didn't really pay attention to much of history at the Academy. Didn't really see how it could help me back then. Thanks to Hinata-chan, I can kinda see how it could help now." Naruto confessed.

"History can be a powerful weapon. The knowledge it gives can provide an advantage over your enemies. With history, you can know how your enemies will think and react to a situation. In a battle, if you know history, you can base your strategies on famous victories and not only gain an advantage, but inspire your men by connecting their battle with other famous ones. Naruto-san, you said you want to be Hokage…" Kenta explained.

"Not want, Tsao-san, will be." Naruto corrected.

"Ah, yes." Kenta paused, unsure if he should smile at the boy's boundless determination or frown at the difficulty such convictions would prove for getting him to become Daimyo. "As Hokage, or any leader in fact, motivating the men and women under your command is very important. History allows a leader to speak to their national pride."

"I never thought of it that way." Naruto rubbed his chin. He smiled as Hong returned from the back. "Well, I've got a mission to get to!"

Hong handed over Naruto's order. "I shall pray for your safe return, Naruto. I hope these weapons will serve you well."

"I will pray that your mission will be successful and bring you much honor." Kenta bowed.

"Thanks Old Man Hong! Nice meeting you, Samurai-san!" Naruto waved as he turned to leave.

"When you return, I would enjoy talking more about the power of history. If you would like, I might even be able to introduce you to swordsmanship." Kenta said with his own wave. He blinked and suddenly, Naruto was only a few inches away.

"You'd really teach me a bit about using swords?" The boy was bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"If I can receive permission, I would be honored to teach you the noble ways of the sword." Kenta decided he would smile at the boy's endless enthusiasm and eagerness to learn.

"**Kick ass**!" Naruto shouted as he jumped. He flashed a foxy grin. "Samurai, you might have just saved Konoha from an epic prank!"

Kenta turned to Hong as Naruto ran from the door. "Prank?"

"Oh yes! Naruto is quite the infamous prankster. You should have seen what he did to the Hokage Monument last year. The boy somehow managed to paint graffiti over all four of the Hokage's busts and write "Space Reserved for Uzumaki Naruto" next to the Yondaime. All before dawn. He was of course caught by one of the Academy instructors, but it was impressive." Hong laughed at the memory.

Tsao Kenta pinched the bridge of his nose. _Our future Daimyo is a prankster? Michi-san and the Board will not be pleased to learn that detail._

* * *

Tsunade gulped down another cup of coffee. It helped her stay awake, but the Godaime Hokage was wishing it had a bit of whiskey or _some_ form of alcohol in it.

"Hokage-sama, Hyūga Hiashi is here to see you." Shizune apologized as she poked her head through the door. Tsunade put her hands together and prayed to whoever would listen for whiskey to put in her coffee.

_I've been a good Hokage, haven't I? I've also been a faithful follower of the Alcohol Gods… please? It's too early for Hiashi._

"Send him in." Tsunade commanded professionally. The head of the Hyūga clan strode purposefully into the room. Hiashi bowed perfectly and Tsunade smiled politely back.

"Thank you for granting this audience on such short notice, Hokage-sama." Hiashi said in his perfectly measured aristocratic voice.

"You are welcome, Hiashi. I will always have time to meet with one of Konoha's most prestigious clans. Please, have a seat." Tsunade motioned gracefully at one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"Thank you, my lady." Hiashi took the offered seat with equal grace.

"You are welcome." The Hokage replied evenly.

"Hokage-sama, I asked for this audience to inquire about the recent 'B-rank' mission my eldest daughter recently completed." Hiashi carefully weighed and considered each word.

"Ah, yes. I must say, Hinata did an exceptional job in accomplishing a task many considered hopelessly impossible." Tsunade commended her student to her father.

Hiashi notably straightened. The Hyūga head was not used to hearing how his eldest child completed a task thought to be impossible. Tsunade swallowed back a hearty laugh at how in the dark Hiashi was. "What was the task Hinata completed?"

"She taught Uzumaki Naruto manners." The Godaime leaned back in her chair and watched Hiashi's reaction.

"Hinata did what?" Hiashi's voice dripped with disbelief.

"Hinata, when not excelling in her medical ninjutsu training, has been teaching Uzumaki Naruto manners. I dare say, Hinata taught splendidly. It took me a slightly embarrassing amount of time to recognize Naruto after the transformation." Tsunade verbally poked Hiashi.

"Tsunade-sama, would you care explain why Hinata was seen on a _date_ with Uzumaki Naruto. A date that I in no way gave my blessing too." Hiashi struggled to contain his indignation at the breach of protocol. "If my daughter had truly taught this young… man manners, he would have been aware of the need to seek my approval."

"Oh yes, I completely agree." Tsunade said evenly. "If this _were_ a proper date, Naruto would have been honor bound to seek your approval. However, their 'date' was simply a final exam of sorts. I assure you that Naruto and Hinata were observed at all times by myself, Umino Iruka and my assistant Shizune."

"And my daughter's performance?" Hiashi asked. He was eager to secure _some prestige _for his is clan out of this circus.

"Exemplary. I dare say, she has demonstrated exceptional skills in every area I have observed her in. After the next Chunnin exams, I am strongly considering naming her the new Kunoichi instructor for the Academy." Tsunade revealed.

"An Academy teaching position, for one so young?" Hiashi considered how he could present this revelation to the Clan.

"Did I speak unclearly, Hiashi?" Tsunade casually asked.

"Of course not, Tsunade-sama." The Hyūga head assured his Hokage. "I… only have one more question regarding Hinata's mission."

"Proceed."

"Is there a security clearance on the mission report? There could be… complications amongst certain 'traditional' elements of the Clan if such a mission were to be uncovered." Hiashi confided in the Slug Sannin.

"Access to the details of Hinata's mission will be sealed. If there is nothing else…"

Hiashi bowed. "You have my thanks, Hokage-sama. I thank you graciously seeing me on such short notice."

"You are welcome, Hiashi. Have a fine day." Tsunade smiled honestly for the first time in the meeting. She was finally half awake.

"Oh, I will, Hokage-sama." Hiashi had a gleeful gleam in his Byakugan.

"I'm afraid putting the fear of god into Naruto will have to wait, Hiashi. He just left on a mission with the Genin of Team Eight." Tsunade's amusement tripled when Hinata's father actually pouted.

"A shame." Hiashi sighed. "I will have to wait until he returns to discuss 'future reviews of his ongoing lessons' it seems."

Tsunade grinned evilly. "Oh yes, a complete shame. I hope you will inform me of when the discussion occurs. After all, it does pertain to an ongoing mission…"

"As you wish, Hokage-sama. Good day." Hiashi bowed again. The upward twitch at the edge of his mouth did not go unnoticed by the Sannin.

* * *

Naruto sniffled following his completely unexpected sneeze. Shino had ordered the team to depart from Konoha minutes after finishing the equipment checks. Naruto had to admit he was impressed and made a mental note to follow Shino's example when he finally got around to leading a mission.

"We have covered sufficient ground. Fifteen minutes for break." Shino succinctly ordered.

The young ninja stretched and prepared for their quick break. Naruto made his way over to Hinata.

"Hey, Hinata-chan." Naruto flopped down next to the Hyūga heiress.

"H…hello Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled back. "I'm glad you could join us on this mission."

"Me too." The boy paused and was reminded of the silence that fell during their conversation before the Chunnin exam finals. "I had a great time on our date."

_It wasn't just a lesson!_ "I… I did too… Naruto-kun."

Naruto's smile threatened to split his face. "That's great! I'd love to take you on another date sometime!"

Hinata was glued in place by her crush's exclamation. "I… I…" _We… we are dating!_ "w…would love that."

"Awesome! You're the best, Hinata-chan!" Naruto leapt to his feet. "We'll talk in a bit; I've got to ask Shino about some stuff."

The lavender eyed heiress could only nod as she was overwhelmed by the realization that she and Naruto were about to become an official couple. Even if Naruto didn't truly comprehend the step they were about to take, she wouldn't complain. This was something Hinata had dreamed of since the Academy!

Naruto walked over to where Shino and Kiba were talking about the mission. "Hey guys!"

"Naruto-san." Shino nodded in acknowledgement.

"Sup, Naruto?" Kiba asked. Akamaru barked out a welcome as well.

"Nothing much. I'm just curious how close we are to Shino's forest." Naruto shrugged his shoulders.

"Our current pace is excellent. I believe that we shall reach the reserve tomorrow before noon." The team leader informed both Kiba and Naruto.

"Got it, boss." Naruto saluted Shino only somewhat playfully.

"There's something else you need 'to get', Naruto." Kiba suddenly added as Naruto started to head back to Hinata.

"Huh?" Naruto scratched at his cheek.

"You must understand that Hinata is the cornerstone of Team Eight. This is doubly so now that she's a fully trained Combat Medic." Shino fixed Naruto in place with an authoritative glare.

Kiba took a step closer, while Akamaru moved behind Naruto. The Jinchūriki knew when he was boxed in. Worse, Naruto knew he was being boxed in by Hinata's surrogate and very protective older brothers. The situation could only be more threatening if Neji was there with his Byakugan active. "Yeah, Team Eight is lucky to have Hinata. I mean, she could patch us up great even _before_ Tsunade-sama started training her. That cream of hers works wonders."

"Indeed. The cream has a strong disinfectant quality and greatly aids in the healing of lacerations." Shino commented off handedly.

"Yeah, let's say we were to take some time to train when we reach our destination. And Shino, Akamaru or myself _accidentally_ landed a few choice blows because we were 'upset' about say… someone currently dating Hinata hurting her feelings… That cream would really help out." Kiba spoke in a faux-distracted tone.

"Kiba-san is correct. The cream even lessens the irritation caused by kikai bites. However, I do not see our squad needing Hinata's medicinal talents for sparing incidents. Why? Harmony will be maintained in our group because Hinata-san will not be under any undue emotional distress" Shino hardened his glare at Naruto.

"Of… of course not! Everything's going to be great!" Naruto laughed for a moment before returning Shino's glare. "Do you think I'm the kind of guy who would act like an ass?"

"Nah, Naruto. We just were talking about how good Hinata's medical cream is." Kiba slapped Naruto on the shoulder before walking off with Shino.

"Oh man. If it's this rough just talking to Hinata-chan's teammates, how bad is it going to be when Neji manages to corner me?" Naruto gulped. "How the hell am I going to survive meeting her _dad?_"

* * *

Meihui always felt relaxes as she wrote. The rhythmic scratches of pen on parchment always seemed to soothe her nerves. The day had been a treat. A very lovely couple had invited her over for a traditional Land of Whirlpools' lunch. Zhūang was reveling in the outpouring of pride for being a Whirlpooler her visit had unleashed. She briefly imagined the celebrations that would erupt when the Daimyo, young Prince Naruto, was revealed to the homeland.

It was a pleasant distraction. But that, for the moment, was all it was. The observer filed the latest chapter draft into an envelope and sighed. Meihui was not looking forward to memorizing a new set of ciphers. The Movement could not risk Konoha discovering the contents of the messages Meihui and Kenta were hiding in their chapters. It was unlikely that Konoha would take any direct action against the Movement, but there were still risks. The Hokage could easily place Little Uzu under surveillance which would have a disastrous impact on Whirlpool's financial base.

The greatest and most terrible threat was Konoha trading the Whirlpool ciphers to Kumo in exchange for political or military agreements. Meihui shuddered in spite of herself at the thought.

"Is something the matter, Meihui?" Kenta asked from the doorway.

"Nothing is amiss. I was just thinking about how tedious, but necessary, it will be to memorize the new ciphers." Meihui responded while cursing herself or being so distracted.

The old Samurai nodded and took a seat. "I understand. You should take a moment. All that writing has to be tiresome."

"The writing doesn't bother me. I enjoy it greatly." Meihui leaned back in her chair. "Tell me, Kenta, how was your day?"

"I met him." Kenta stated matter-of-factly.

"Him? You mean…" Meihui shot forward. Her eyes were wide with excitement.

"Yes. He was purchasing equipment for a mission from Hong, the weapon-smith in Little Uzu. Uzumaki Naruto is a most interesting individual. I'm afraid Naruto may be a bit rough around the edges." The last Tsao Samurai sighed. He had spent a great deal of time investigating Naruto's pranks. The future Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools was a bit of a hellraiser.

"What do you mean? He seemed like such a well behaved young man while on his date." The shock on Meihui's face was clear.

"Uzumaki Naruto is the most infamous prankster in the history of Konoha."

A somewhat stunned silence descended. "When you say infamous…"

"Our future daimyo graffiti-ed the Hokage Monument and wrote in bright red, gigantic letters, 'Space Reserved for Uzumaki Naruto' next to the Yondaime's bust. He did this the day of his Shinobi Academy graduation exam before dawn and was only caught after he finished 'reserving his spot' by an Academy teacher."

"And things were going so well…" Meihui buried her head in her hands. "How are we going to explain such… childish behavior to the Board?"

Kenta chuckled mirthlessly. "Very carefully."

Meihui was about to suggest a way to keep Naruto's trickster nature from causing problems when she was interrupted by a knock at the door. The woman rose from her seat and went to answer the knock.

"Hello, may I… help… you?"

"**Yosh! **Good afternoon, I am Might Guy, Konoha's Sublime Green Beast! Our most **youthful** Hokage, Tsunade-sama has agreed to your request for an interview!" The man shouted and light reflected off his unnaturally white teeth. Meihui couldn't believe _this_ man was a ninja. He wore a forest green spandex suit, orange leg and wrist warmers. Might Guy also possessed the bushiest eyebrows Meihui had ever seen.

"That… is good news…" Meihui had the presence of mind to be polite.

"Are you alright, Miss? Will Tsunade-sama have to use her sublime medical knowledge to ensure you remain in perfect health?" Might Guy inquired.

"I am fine, thank you for your concern." Meihui tried to smile warmly. "If you will give us a moment?"

"Of course!" Guy flashed a thumbs up and grinned. Meihui shut the door and took two steps back.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?"

* * *

Naruto was never so grateful to hear the words 'set up camp' in his life. The pace had not been killer and had almost been leisurely by ninja standards. Conversation between Naruto and the Genin of Team Eight had been fun, especially when Naruto managed to squirrel Hinata away when Kiba and Shino were going on about something else.

There was something that ate at Naruto, however. Team Eight were clearly friends with each other. More than that, Kiba, Hinata, Akamaru and Shino had a clear respect and understanding for each other.

It was everything Naruto had imagined Team Seven would be like in his first dreams after becoming a Genin. The greatest tragedy of it all was that Team Seven did in fact have moments were Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto had understood and even considered each other friends. Then, Orochimaru and Itachi tore down Naruto's happy illusion and destroyed the closest thing to a family Naruto had known.

Naruto breathed out the negative thoughts and focused on what he _did_ have. He had Jiraiya, who was practically his perverted, but kinda cool, uncle. There was baa-chan, Shizune-nee-chan, Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei, Old Man Teuchi, Ayame-nee-chan, Konohamaru and company and Hinata who was probably his girlfriend. _If I can survive Neji and Hinata's dad._ Naruto nodded sharply.

_Yes, things aren't perfect and there are some bad things in my life. But! I have so much awesome stuff too!_

"Ano, is everything alright Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked while watching a cascade of emotions dance across Naruto's features.

"I was just reminding myself that even though I had a rough spell, things are still great." Naruto beamed. "I mean, I had a date with _you_. How could things _not_ be great?"

"Than… thank you, Naruto-kun. If you'll excuse me I… I need to help set up the camp." Hinata was blushing furiously, but Naruto couldn't help but notice her smile.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that we won't have any sparring on this trip." Kiba grinned as he walked past.

"Oi! Like I'd ever do anything to hurt Hinata-chan's feelings!" Naruto snapped back.

"Kiba-san and Naruto-san, finish setting up the camp. We will all need our rest." Shino intervened to prevent the two hot-headed youths from coming to blows. After a quick instant meal, which for Naruto meant Ramen, the Genin team retired to the tent. Sleep came easy for Naruto, but it did last long.

"Argh, I shouldn't have had that third cup of Ramen." The whiskered Genin grumbled to himself as he slipped out of the tent.

Naruto stumbled a short distance from the camp and took care of his business. The sound of gently falling water captured his attention and in a sleepy daze, Naruto decided to investigate.

"Wow, this place is pretty cool." Naruto yawned as he made his way through the natural path. The details were melting into each other. His mind was still mostly asleep and Naruto missed several details. Even at his most oblivious, Naruto couldn't miss what awaited him in the center of a moonlit pool.

The waterfall was the first detail Naruto comprehended as his thoughts achieved some level of coherency. Naruto was drawn in first by the noise and motion. He followed the roaring torrent of water down…

And all coherent thought in his mind quickly fled when his eyes settled at the base of the waterfall.

It was a girl. Naruto's now limited brain function could clearly make that out. She was performing a dance, or a jutsu. The Jinchūriki found that his legs were propelling him forward without any direction from his mind. Naruto didn't care and decided he would thank his legs for showing initiative as soon as the mission was a success and the team was back in Konoha. Her skin was flawless and the moonlight seemed to reflect off it like a mirror. The girl had so completely entranced Naruto that the young ninja didn't curse Ero-sennin when he simply stared.

_She's beautiful._ _I think whoever she is has a perfect figure._

Naruto's approach had gone completely unnoticed by the mysterious woman. She was so focused on her dance that her world likely did not expand beyond the pool. Naruto stopped at the edge of the pool and simply watched.

Tsunade could have appeared next to Naruto and placed the Hokage's hat on his head. "Congratulations! You're the Rokudaime." Those words could have left Tsunade's lips and had zero effect on Naruto.

'That's nice baa-chan.' would have probably been Naruto's distracted reply. At that moment, Naruto was completely oblivious to everything _but_ the girl dancing in front of the waterfall.

"If this is a dream, I wouldn't mind sleeping for a few decades." The world's most unpredictable ninja whispered and took another step forward. Naruto's mind was so focused on the dancing woman that he utterly failed to notice the algae covered rocks. It was inevitable that he would lose his footing. The girl cried out in surprise and covered herself when she heard Naruto hit the water.

_I am _so_ banning algae when I'm Hokage._ "Oh, uh, sorry about that." Naruto apologized lamely. The girl started to back away and in a panic, Naruto shouted out. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen!"

Naruto's shout had an unexpected effect. The girl somehow tripped on the mirrored surface of the water before leaping away. Naruto was left only with the waterfall and his hated enemy algae for company. He sighed as he rose to his feet.

"Well at least I remembered Kakashi-sensei's advice and complimented her. That'll probably make… up… for… seeing… her…" Once again, coherent thought became impossible for the ninja. "naked."

_She was naked. Oh god, this is where I start the slow descent into perversion! Why don't I care?_ Naruto thought in a panic. Several breaths later, Naruto had utterly failed to push the girl from his mind. Her figure and skin were divine. Naruto swore he saw stars in her midnight hair.

Wait.

Her hair.

Naruto _recognized _that hairstyle! In fact, he didn't just recognize that hairstyle; he really liked that hairstyle! And he knew _exactly_ who it belonged to.

"That… that was…" Naruto never had a chance to finish that thought. The impact of the realization caused him to pass out in a pool of his own blood. With a smile on his face.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Wow, that was a fast turnaround! Less than a week! You guys can thank eternalfox92680 's inability to suspend his disbelief for inspiring me to pound out this chapter.

Chapter Seven is a bit fillerish, but it was still fun to write. Please continue the amazing review response!

EDIT: Caught a few typos.


	8. Chapter 8

Tsunade nodded politely at her 'guests' as she entered her office. The two Land of Whirlpool historians had been waiting several minutes for the Hokage to arrive. The Fifth Hokage had decided to make the pair sweat a little bit. Tsunade did not believe for a moment that Zhuāng Meihui and the 'retired' Samurai Kenta were just historians.

_They have been far too interested in Naruto. I have to protect him. Naruto is the heart of this village._

"Thank you for your patience." Tsunade said as she entered her office. Kenta and Meihui both rose to their feet and bowed. The Hokage took her seat and gave the two civilians permission to do the same. Tsunade's simple hand motion was also a signal for Tenzō. The ANBU captain had permission to resume his other duties.

"You honor us with your presence, Tsunade-dono," Meihui said with real awe in her voice.

"We are grateful that you have agreed to our humble request for an interview." Kenta bowed again.

Tsunade smiled for the first time. "I have rediscovered a personal connection to my heritage and would be honored to help keep the cultural heritage of the Land of Whirlpools alive."

"Again, Tsunade-dono, we cannot thank you enough for your efforts." Meihui said as she returned Tsunade's smile.

"Shall we begin?" Tsunade prompted. The Kage had instantly taken complete control over the interview. The civilian historian would likely never realize that she would be giving up more information than Tsunade would. The samurai might eventually realize what had transpired. The Slug Sannin's victory had been accomplished simply through the power of her presence.

The interview process started amicably. Tsunade spoke of her memories of her grandmother Uzumaki Mito. Kenta asked about the significance of the symbol of the Land of Whirlpools being on the Chunin and Jonin vests. Eventually, the subject turned to genealogy. Shizune had informed Tsunade how detailed the records Meihui and Kenta possessed were. The Whirlpool historians had also taken an interest in Naruto. On the surface, this was somewhat expected. The Uzumaki name was highly respected in the Land of Whirlpools. Naruto, by virtue of his name and ninja status, made him an attractive option for a chapter. However, Naruto's secret status as the son of the Fourth Hokage, the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, and Tsunade's adopted grandson made any interest in Naruto suspect.

"We have been researching the families of the Land of Whirlpools for many years," Meihui said excitedly. "As you can see here, we have traced the family tree of the Ito family. Originally, they were a free peasant family. The family became highly successful when Ito Kazuki opened a general goods store. Today, the Ito family owns six general goods stores and two warehouses."

Tsunade had to admit, their research was well-done. Historical research would never be as precise as medical research, but that required historical researchers to possess a respectable tenacity. The two foreign agents, whom Tsunade would never trust fully, were very open with their findings. As the Fifth Hokage traced a familiar lineage, a hypothesis began to form in her head.

'_The main Royal line is extinguished. Iwa and Kumo saw to that during the Third Great Shinobi War. There is a great deal of attention given to the minor royal lines. I recognize several of these names. So, this is why they are interested in Naruto. Jiraiya, I need you to get back here.' _

"Your records are incredible. I must applaud your dedication to your cause," Tsunade said amicably.

Meihui bowed to hide her momentary shock. "Tsunade-dono, you are too kind."

"Yes, it was an incredible honor, Tsunade-dono. We thank you for your time." Kenta sounded gracious as he bowed.

"It was my pleasure. I hope this will assist you in the success of your book. I must say, the conversation was enlightening. I learned a great deal and would love to see the finished product," Tsunade said with an inviting smile.

Meihui did not trust her voice and allowed Kenta to conclude the meeting. The old samurai bowed once again. "We shall see to it that you receive one of the first-run copies, Tsunade-dono. By your leave, my lady?"

"It was a pleasure and I appreciate the generous gesture," the Hokage replied. Meihui and Kenta rose from their chair and offered Tsunade a final bow. The Whirlpool agents collected their research and notes and exited the Hokage's office. Kenta and Meihui forced a conversation about their research for any observing Ninja. However, the real conversation was unspoken and panic stricken.

Tsunade knew.

* * *

Jiraiya downed a shot of saké and leaned back in his booth. He had quickly headed north to check on the situation in the Land of Lightning. Civil unrest had recently erupted in several regions of the country. Aomori province, Otsu province and the former Land of Whirlpools were all agitating for some degree of governmental reform. The combination of a long-term drought and a cyclone had riled up the population. The drought had led to high food prices. The high food prices had led to rioting. Then, the cyclone had caused massive flooding in the region. Jiraiya couldn't begin to describe how incompetently the Lightning Daimyo had handled the situation.

'_Tsunade-hime is going to want to hear about this. The Lightning Daimyo's Levied Soldiers and House Samurai aren't cut out to deal with this kind of brewing insurgency. Things will probably get worse when the Daimyo approaches the Raikage for support. Half of the Land of Lightning will rise up if that happens,' _Jiraiya thought as he poured another drink.

The Toad Sage was thankful he had at least found some information on this excursion that would be of use to Konoha. Akatsuki was keeping a low profile. There had been a burst of activity a few months ago in Iwa, but Jiraiya was frustrated that all leads regarding Itachi's organization had seemingly dried up. The Sannin wasn't thrilled with the idea that he would have to call in a few favors to get his investigation started up again.

Iwa had also had some upheavals, but nothing on the level of the Land of Lightning. The Kamizuru Clan had fallen into obscurity. The Clan that had given birth to the First Tsuchikage had elected to undertake a voluntary exile. This had clarified his earlier intelligence that the Clan had mobilized.

"This is going to be a headache." The Toad Sannin grumbled. A hostile Clan had not only mobilized, but mobilized south towards the Land of Fire's borders. That old bastard Ōnoki was probably thrilled with this turn of events. The Kamizuru weren't officially part of Iwagakure during their voluntary exile. Thus, when they crossed into the Land of Fire, Konoha couldn't hold Iwa responsible. Ōnoki was in a very favorable position. The Kamizuru would serve as a reconnaissance-in-force and a test for Tsunade's resolve.

Orochimaru's Sound Village was almost as big of a question mark as Akatsuki or the cause of the Kamizuru's fall. Jiraiya had confirmed that the Village Hidden in the Sound wasn't actually a village. All of Jiraiya's evidence pointed to 'Otogakure' being a series of hidden bases and labs. The Snake Sannin had covered his tracks well. Unfortunately for Orochimaru, Jiraiya was a spy _master_. Jiraiya had followed the money trail when the other leads had dried up. He had discovered and followed the supply lines which had revealed the nature of Orochimaru's operation.

Too bad Jiraiya couldn't find the specific locations of Orochimaru's bases. Jiraiya sighed as he thought of how much Naruto was going to complain about the lack of progress in finding Sasuke.

"That brat needs to find a pretty girlfriend and forget about that Uchiha traitor." Jiraiya groaned as he exited his booth. It was going to be a long trip back to Konoha.

* * *

Naruto and Hinata sneezed at the same time. Kiba turned and snickered at the couple a bit before returning to his conversation with Shino. Every few seconds, Naruto and Hinata would try to sneak a glance at each other.

"Naruto-kun…did you mean what you…said last night?" Hinata asked hopefully in an attempt to drive away the awkward silence.

"Of course I did. You remember _our_ Nindo right? We stand by what we say!" Naruto exclaimed proudly. "I mean, I haven't stopped thinking about seeing you naked since I regained consciousness!"

Hinata's mind completely shut down and she froze in place. Naruto made a confused noise and walked over to Hinata. He put his hand to Hinata's forehead. "You okay?"

Hinata nodded. "I…I'm fine, Naruto-kun."

"That's good." Naruto suddenly scrunched his face up. Hinata recognized this as her not-yet-official boyfriend's thinking stance. "I'm sorry if that came out wrong. It's just that I can't stop thinking about how pretty you are."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata decided to accept the intent of the first attempt at the compliment instead of the compliment's somewhat awkward wording. _'Maybe I need to coach Naruto in speaking next? I love his honesty, but he _really_ needs help with not being so blunt all the time.'_

Naruto and Hinata once again walked in silence. Naruto decided that the silence was unacceptable. Naruto enjoyed spending time and chatting with Hinata too much to let this lull stand. "I should probably keep last night a secret when I meet your dad, right Hinata-chan?"

'_Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god. I've been so happy being with Naruto-kun that I completely forgot about teaching him about the meeting with Father. There is so much to do! I have to teach him what kind of gift to bring, how to approach a Clan head, and how to _sit_ in the meeting! Naruto-kun will do amazing. He is _always_ amazing. It's just there is so much he needs to know!' _Hinata thought in a panic. She quickly realized that word about her date with Naruto-kun had no doubt reached her father. That would complicate things. How were she and Naruto going to convince Hiashi to accept their relationship? The thought of conflict between her father and Naruto scared Hinata a great deal. Hinata took comfort from the fact that Naruto would be there for, and with, her. _'We can do this. There isn't anything we can't accomplish together. Besides it'll be another chance to see Naruto-kun in that suit!'_

"I…I don't think Father would be…amused by the thought of…you seeing me..._naked,_" Hinata said the last word in barely a whisper.

"That would be the last thing I'd mention to your dad, Hinata-chan. I'm not worried about meeting him though. One, I'd actually _like _to meet him. I bet your dad is a total bad-ass. Two, and most important, you'll be teaching me what to do. I mean, with you teaching me how to work with the Hyūga Clan, I'll be Hokage in _no_ time!" Naruto did his best to reassure Hinata. They would be fine. Everything would work out. _Especially_ if Naruto could keep Jiraiya, Neji, and Hiashi from finding out Naruto had seen Hinata naked. Jiraiya would attempt to drag Naruto further into perversion. Neji and Hiashi would just kill Naruto. The Jinchūriki sighed as he couldn't decide which was worse.

"I'm glad you have faith in me, Naruto-kun." Hinata sighed contentedly. It was incredibly comforting to have someone believe in her so completely. Naruto filled her with so much confidence. Whenever Hinata was with Naruto, she believed that she could do anything. Hinata found it impossible not to smile around Naruto. He made her feel complete.

Naruto nodded happily. He always felt at ease when Hinata smiled. It was a feeling he couldn't explain. Then again, Naruto didn't really want an explanation. All he needed was to know that the feeling was there.

"Naruto-san and Hinata-san, we will be arriving at the Reserve in a few hours," Shino announced.

Naruto pumped his fist. "Alright! Let's find this Bikōchū!"

* * *

"Enter," Hiashi commanded in a cool and collected tone. He had summoned his nephew to discuss recent developments. The combination of the Uchiha defection and Hinata's 'unofficial' relationship with Uzumaki Naruto was causing a stir in the Clan.

"Hiashi-sama," Neji greeted as he bowed. The Hyūga Clan head motioned for Neji to take a seat.

"Neji," Hiashi returned the greeting. "I have not had a chance to speak with you since the attempt to recover the traitorous Uchiha. The Clan was proud of your incredible victory. Your actions brought the Hyūga honor and glory. I have formally added a commendation onto the Roster for your triumph."

"You are very generous, Hiashi-sama," Neji thanked his uncle for the honor. The Roster was the history of notable victories or glorious accomplishments for the Hyūga Clan. It was rare for a Branch Family Hyūga to have their accomplishments listed on the Roster. Neji could barely comprehend the singular honor Hiashi had bestowed.

"I am proud of you, nephew." Hiashi actually granted Neji a ghost of a smile. "The addition to the Roster will be announced in one week's time. The announcement will occur at a formal dinner. You will be permitted to invite a single guest from outside the clan. I am sure you have a _date_ in mind."

Neji looked up and was very proud that he kept his blush under control. "I have a guest in mind, Hiashi-sama." The Branch Family prodigy confessed. Hiashi grinned and nodded approvingly.

"Speaking of _dates,_ I will need a report on Uzumaki Naruto's 'final etiquette exam'. Tsunade-sama spoke highly of my daughter's 'teaching' abilities." Hiashi prompted. Neji looked up in shock. Neji had not expected Hiashi to know that he, and almost everyone in Neji's age group, had spied on Hinata's date.

"Details, Hiashi-sama?" Neji struggled to maintain an even tone.

"Yes." Hiashi did not mince words. Neji sighed and nodded.

"I was shocked to see how well-behaved Naruto-san was. Hinata-sama has done an incredible job in training Naruto-san in etiquette. Naruto-san treated Hinata-sama with the utmost respect," Neji reported.

"My daughter and heir deserved nothing less. Where did the 'final exam' take place?" Hiashi continued to question Neji.

"Naruto-san had reservations at Mizai's." The young man could not keep the surprise out of his voice. Neji still had trouble believing that Naruto Uzumaki could afford a meal at Mizai's.

Hiashi matched his nephew's surprise. "Mizai's is an exclusive restaurant, and Naruto, while financially stable, is not known for possessing disposable income."

"I believe the rumors are that Naruto-san made a large amount of money wagering on the Chunin Exam finals and...editing Jiraiya-sama's books." Neji was suddenly nervous.

"If Jiraiya-sama trusts Naruto to edit his world-famous literature, then perhaps Naruto's academic talents have been misreported." Hiashi spoke evenly, but Neji noticed a strange glint in his uncle's eyes.

"Indeed Hiashi-sama." Neji decided that simply agreeing with Hiashi was the wisest course of action at the moment.

"Continue your report on Hinata's 'exam' of Uzumaki-san," Hiashi ordered as he shifted back to 'overprotective father mode'.

Neji took a single breath to focus his memories. He began at the moment where he had encountered Hanabi-sama and the Honorable Grandchildren of the Third Hokage and the Konoha Elders hiding in a bush to spy on the 'exam'. The only detail Neji failed to mention was the part where he considered confronting Naruto and Hinata about making it sound like he was a bad guy.

'_Sure, I was a bit of a jerk before my fight with Naruto but I wasn't _that _bad!_' Neji thought in a huff.

Hiashi caught Neji's nearly unnoticeable flare of emotion and made a note to ask Hanabi about the source of Neji's annoyance later. Neji continued and reported how well Naruto had treated Hinata.

"And that is the extent of my observations, Hiashi-sama," Neji stated smoothly as he finished his report.

Hiashi steepled his fingers. "Thank you, Neji. I believe that Hinata should continue these 'lessons'. I believe that Naruto requires a lesson in meeting with a Clan head. After all, the boy aspires to become Hokage. If Naruto wishes to reach the tower, he will need experience in the traditions and politics of the major clans. The formal banquet where I shall announce your entry into the Roster would be a perfect opportunity. Wouldn't you agree, Neji?"

"Absolutely, Hiashi-sama." Neji nodded enthusiastically. "Would my presence be required during your meeting with Naruto-san?"

"Yes…I believe a meeting with Naruto before the banquet will be necessary. You are a familiar presence for Naruto. I believe your presence would ensure a more… productive meeting." Hiashi's smirk was matched by Neji. The two Hyūga were eagerly awaiting the meeting with Naruto.

* * *

Shizune looked over the report from ANBU. The 'Little Uzu' had been placed under observation. The residents were not doing anything illegal. Tenzō's investigation had found nothing suspicious, much less sinister, in regards to Naruto. There was no reason to continue in-depth surveillance of Little Uzu.

"Tsunade-sama will be relieved." The majordomo sighed. She was thankful that there wasn't a threat to Naruto. The knowledge took a weight off Shizune's shoulders. The medic-nin walked through the halls of the Hokage's Tower towards her master and her Hokage's office. Shizune found her mind wandering towards Naruto's mission. The Kamizuru Clan was heading for the borders of the Land of Fire. Shizune knew the odds of Naruto and Team Eight encountering Iwa shinobi were low.

Shizune also knew that odds meant nothing when Naruto was involved.

"Enter!" Tsunade shouted in response to Shizune's knock.

Shizune strode into the room and placed the ANBU report on Tsunade's desk. "Tsunade-sama, the ANBU have finished the first report on their observations of Little Uzu."

"The surveillance has not been underway for very long. What did they uncover? What is Whirlpool getting at?" Tsunade mused.

"Our agents report that Little Uzu has always held Naruto in high regard, even before Naruto's defeat of Neji and Gaara. At this point in the investigation, they have discovered no evidence of illegal activities or any violations regarding the other statutes placed on Naruto's secrets." Shizune reported the main thrust of the report.

Tsunade nodded. "I will not allow any threat to my successor."

"We'll protect him." Shizune stated with absolute certainty.

Tsunade picked up the report and began to read. "Thank you, Shizune. If there are any developments regarding Naruto's mission, tell me immediately."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Shizune bowed and left. She had complete confidence that Naruto would be safe. Naruto was an incredible shinobi. More than that, Naruto was an incredible person.

"Naruto will be fine." Shizune assured herself.

* * *

Team Eight and Naruto arrived at the nature reserve that Shino purchased with his winnings. Naruto whistled as he took in the sight. It was an impressive area. The impressive size also caused Naruto to worry.

"So, how many Bikōchū will be in this place?" Naruto asked nervously.

"I estimate no more than thirty breeding Bikōchū will be present in this reserve. However, that is the upper limit and the actual number is likely much lower," Shino reported calmly.

"Well I'm glad you guys are awesome trackers. I guess I'll just make a ton of Shadow Clones to help with the search." Naruto said with some forced enthusiasm. He felt out of place on this type of mission. Naruto knew his strengths, and delicate searching was not one of them. The Jinchūriki was a combat specialist. This mission probably wouldn't have any combat.

'_I guess that I'll have to support Hinata-chan and the others as best as I can!' _Naruto thought determinedly.

Shino nodded and led the Konoha team into the low-lying forests. The Genin eventually reached a massive, ancient oak tree at the center of the reserve. Shino retrieved a picture from one of his pockets.

"This is the Bikōchū. We have until the rains to collect as many Bikōchū as possible." The Aburame said as he passed around the photograph. Hinata and Kiba nodded as they memorized the features of the bug. Naruto frowned.

"Oh man, I am out of my depth here." Naruto groaned. "Team Seven was a combat squad. We never had anyone capable of tracking and Kakashi-sensei mainly focused on getting us to work together."

Team Eight, like all of the Konoha 11, except for Team Seven itself, knew how far Team Seven had fallen. Kakashi and Naruto had done everything to hold the team together. Hinata suddenly reached out and grabbed Naruto's hand. The assembled genin were all shocked by Hinata's boldness. Naruto and Hinata were the first to react. The couple blushed slightly, smiled, but did not pull apart. Kiba smirked and Akamaru barked approvingly. Shino did not react outwardly, but noted the change in Naruto's emotions.

"Naruto-san." Shino spoke up. "Accompany Hinata-san for a while. I am sure she will be able to help your tracking ability."

Hinata and Naruto headed off. Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino were silent for a moment.

"Are you sure that's a good idea Shino?" Kiba asked as he watched the not-yet-official couple walk off.

Shino adjusted his sunglasses. "Yes, I believe it will be very beneficial. Why? Hinata-san will help Naruto-san become more patient. This search requires a delicate touch, which our overly enthusiastic comrade lacks at this point in time."

"True. Naruto did say it himself. He was on an assault squad. Kakashi-sensei wouldn't train them for tracking missions." Kiba admitted.

'_I have marked Naruto with my Kikai. His chakra was much calmer in Hinata's presence.' _Shino thought quickly. "That is likely. We will carry out the standard search pattern."

Kiba and Akamaru nodded before heading off to search for the Bikōchū. The Inuzuka and the nin-ken worked with the wind. Shino remained behind for a heartbeat. _'We are being observed. I must head south.'_

* * *

The Konoha Genin were indeed being observed.

"Well, well. Look at what we've stumbled into." A young woman with brown hair and purple eyes said with dark amusement.

"It seems we've discovered an Aburame, a brat who looks like the bastard son of the Yellow Flash, and a possible Bikōchū hive. Can you believe our luck, Suzumebachi?" An older man with a beard responded.

"Kurobachi, Suzumebachi. This could be the catalyst for our clan's return to glory! If we could kill the Aburame and the blond-haired bastard, Ōnoki-sama will welcome our clan back with open arms!" The final Iwa ninja spoke excitedly.

Suzumebachi grinned. "Jibachi, you are a genius. The little bastard doesn't even have to be the actual son of the Yellow Flash. Tsuchikage-sama hates anything even remotely connected to the Yondaime Hokage. If there's even the slightest relation, it'll be enough."

"What should we deal with first?" Kurobachi asked.

"Let's deal with the Yondaime wannabe!" Jibachi shouted. The Kamizuru nodded in agreement and leapt off to war.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Here is Chapter 8! I hope you guys enjoy it! Thanks for hinatasgreatestfan for giving it a look over and catching my mistakes.

Speaking of hinatasgreatestfan... I am co-authoring Naruto Uzumaki vs the World with him. I know, **know**, you will all be shocked to find out its a Naruhina story. That story is a blast and concentrated insanity! Please check it and HGF's other stuff out (mainly Shy Fox because I want an update to that one!)

Again, thanks for your awesome response to this story! Hope you enjoyed it!


	9. Chapter 9

Naruto had never felt so out of place on a mission before. The search for the Bikōchū required a delicate touch, not brute force. The closest Team Seven had come to using a delicate touch on a mission was the one time in Wave where Tsunami-san had asked the team to help with dishes. Team Eight was clearly in their element. Naruto was watching Hinata closely. Granted, he had been watching the Hyūga heiress very closely for over a week now. Naruto had learned a great deal from Hinata. She had actually taken the time to tie her lessons into Naruto's dream of becoming Hokage.

'_More than that, she's as patient as Iruka-sensei,'_ Naruto mentally commented as he watched Hinata activate her bloodline.

Hinata had never yelled at Naruto for screwing up during the lessons. Occasionally, she had gotten annoyed with Naruto's stubbornness or repeated mistakes. Naruto knew that if he was learning from Sakura or Ino that he would have been knocked around like a training dummy. Hinata always treated Naruto as a human being and not a pest to be chased away. He was grateful that.

"Naruto-kun, there seems to be an insect hive under that large rock. Could you check it out, please?" Hinata asked.

"Sure thing, Hinata-chan," Naruto replied happily. There were several reasons for his happiness. Once again, he was grateful that Hinata treated him as a person. Second, Naruto was _finally_ helping out on this mission.

'_Okay, Naruto. Time to move this rock. You can't use the Rasengan to smash it. Bugs are squishy. Well, Shadow Clone muscle it is,'_ Naruto thought to himself. His willingness to plan out his actions was another product of Hinata's training. Naruto made a number of Shadow Clones and the mass of Narutos pushed the large rock out of the way. Naruto and his clones pulled out the picture of the Bikōchū and compared the numerous bugs that were scurrying about his feet.

"Sorry, Hinata-chan. No dice," Naruto apologized. Hinata sighed.

"It is alright, Naruto-kun. Shino-kun said there were only a few Bikōchū present. We will have to work hard to find them," Hinata said as she focused her Byakugan. Naruto nodded and continued to search. The search would be difficult. Naruto was finding himself growing ever more introspective. He had not been this introspective since the hospital.

'_I hate deep thinking,_' Naruto groaned. The more he spent time around Hinata, the more Naruto realized he was really starting to like her. A lot. They had a great deal in common. Hinata liked gardening as much as Naruto. The couple both agreed that zenzai was the second greatest food in the world. Hinata had even turned their mock debates over which food, ramen or cinnamon rolls, was the greatest into training.

There was just one problem. A part of Naruto still liked Sakura. '_I can't just turn off those feelings. Even if I know there's nothing between me and Sakura-chan. I actually have things in common with Hinata-chan. Maybe I should just corner Sakura and talk with her one more time. My feelings for Hinata-chan are growing stronger while my crush on Sakura-chan is fading fast. I just need to end it, but then again, there was nothing there to begin with, really,_' Naruto decided.

Now that Naruto had a plan, he could focus on the mission. He always felt better with a distinct purpose and a clear goal.

"N-Naruto-kun, I…I need your help over here," Hinata called out. Naruto perked up. Hinata had stuttered a little bit. Naruto had noticed that Hinata's stutter had slowly begun to disappear. Hinata only stuttered when she was flustered, which was generally caused by a bit of playful teasing from Naruto.

'_I can't help it! Hinata-chan is really cute when she blushes,'_ Naruto thought as he rejoined Hinata.

"What is it, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked in a whisper.

"Around three hundred yards to the south, there are three people approaching our position. They will be here in minutes," Hinata whispered nervously.

"They are sneaking up on us. I don't think they realize you have the Byakugan," Naruto whispered back. Hinata nodded. If the enemy had known Hinata was a Hyūga, they would have been trying to close the distance as quickly as possible.

"N-Naruto-kun, can you send clones to get Kiba-kun and Shino-kun?" Hinata asked. Naruto nodded and suddenly pointed in the general direction of Kiba and Shino's search areas.

"Okay, the clones I've already made are going to get Shino and Kiba. I've got a plan," Naruto informed Hinata. He then leaned in and whispered the details. Hinata was impressed with Naruto's tactical thinking. Once again, she was shocked at how the world underestimated Naruto so completely.

"That's brilliant, Naruto-kun," Hinata said professionally. "I have been working on a new jutsu that will be able to defend against the Kamizuru's insects."

"Thanks, Hinata-chan. Those Iwa losers won't know what hit them! Just you watch, we'll be in Iwa's Bingo Book as high-ranking enemy ninja by the end of the week!" Naruto bragged.

'_I'm not sure if that's necessarily a good thing, Naruto-kun,'_ Hinata thought nervously, but took confidence from his bravery.

* * *

Masakyo and Michi were sitting at a table reading a copy of Meihui and Kenta's first report. A second report was due soon. Masakyo had a niggling feeling that the next report would fundamentally alter the plans of the Independence Movement.

"Your daughter and Kenta are very thorough," Michi verbally prodded.

"Meihui is one of the Movement's most talented agents. We must not forget that Kenta is a fully-trained Samurai and survived being hunted by the Lightning Daimyo's agents for several years after the Fall," Masakyo responded evenly. He knew that Michi was attempting to emotionally manipulate him.

"Indeed," the former personal secretary to the Daimyo spoke in a bored tone. "Uzumaki-sama appears to have a personal friendship with the presumed heiress of the Hyūga Clan."

"The Hyūga? They are a very secretive and insular clan," Masakyo murmured. His associate heard his quiet utterance.

"Possibly the most secretive of any ninja clan in the world," the older woman said as she interlocked her fingers. "But very wealthy and powerful. They have a Dojutsu. I am sure you have heard of the rumors of the enmity that exists between Kumo and the Hyūga?"

Masakyo did not immediately respond. Michi's attempt to be subtle was backfiring horribly. Her posturing was _overly_ subtle and Masakyo divined her intentions easily enough. Michi was telling Masakyo that she had her own network of spies and agents.

'_This is troubling. A house divided will not stand,' _Masakyo thought darkly.

"I have been aware of the so-called Hyūga Incident for years. The details of the incident are nearly impossible to uncover, but Kumo and Konoha nearly entered open war over the event," Masakyo answered after a moment. Michi frowned as she realized Masakyo had outmaneuvered her.

Masakyo flipped through the report. "I also believe Uzumaki-sama has begun to shed some light into that clan," he said as pressed his advantage.

"Perhaps Uzumaki-sama's relationship with the Hyūga will secure valuable assistance for the Movement," Michi said in an attempt to deflect the conversation onto a new path.

"It is a possibility. As I said, the Hyūga are a very secretive clan. It is difficult to predict how the clan will react," Masakyo admitted. The conversation moved onto another set of intelligence reports. Eventually, Michi excused herself. Masakyo sighed and shook his head. He was becoming worried that Michi was attempting to concentrate power into her hands.

Masakyo rose from his chair. '_It has been a long day,'_ he thought to himself. As he turned to leave the room, he noticed Gao waiting for him. The spy looked as if he had something to say.

"Is there something you require, Gao-san?"

"Yes, Masakyo-san. I have heard that there is news on our Daimyo," Gao said hopefully. Masakyo easily suppressed his confusion. He had not expected Gao to be so eager for news.

"We have received the first report from our team in Konoha," Masakyo said neutrally. Gao nodded and opened his mouth to speak. Masakyo was shocked to see Gao close his mouth without speaking. "Is there something you wish to ask, Gao-san?"

"I am simply curious about the hope for our nation," Gao confessed.

"The initial reports suggest that he is a respected shinobi and has ties to several prominent clans," Masakyo revealed.

"Uzumaki-sama sounds like he will be a strong rallying point for our people," Gao said earnestly.

"Yes, I do believe he will be," Masakyo responded.

"I hope to meet him one day," Gao said before walking away. Masakyo watched the man leave. This was a strange and unexpected conversation. Gao had been antagonistic toward Masakyo's daughter. It was a mystery that needed to be unraveled.

'_It seems I have a great deal to uncover,'_ Masakyo thought to himself.

* * *

Jibachi struggled to contain his eagerness. The upcoming battle was the first step in restoring the Kamizuru to their former glory. Jibachi had grown up on stories of his grandfather, the First Tsuchikage and the golden age of the Kamizuru. He longed for the return to those semi-mythical days. Thus, he hated any foe that threatened his clan. Konoha, specifically the Aburame Clan and the Yondaime Hokage, was a well of hate Jibachi could easily tap.

'_Soon, we will return to glory!'_

He reached his position and waited for the signal. Jibachi felt his hornets stir. One of his hornets emerged from his sleeve and performed a simple dance. That was the signal.

'_When we bring that Yondaime-wannabe's head to the Tsuchikage, our clan will be welcomed back to Iwa with open arms!'_

Hinata took note of the three Iwa shinobi and their position. Her heart was pounding and sweat trickled down her brow. Hinata was confident in her bloodline ability. Naruto's faith in her had allowed Hinata to develop faith in herself.

'_Naruto-kun's plan will work. We'll be fine,' _Hinata thought to reassure herself.

"Hinata-chan, I think I found something!" Naruto yelled out. As per the plan, Hinata suddenly turned towards Naruto. Hinata's turn took her eyes 'off' the closest ninja. Naruto had convinced Hinata that the enemy ninja were not aware she was Hyūga. They would see Hinata give Naruto all her attention and believe they had an opening.

The buzzing of hundreds of hornets and bees confirmed Naruto's theory. "Kaiten!" Hinata yelled and obliterated the torrent of insects. Naruto sprang into action almost immediately. He threw several kunai with explosive tags towards the sources of the bees. The explosions wouldn't harm the enemy, but they would flush them from cover.

Naruto grinned as he charged the closest enemy ninja. The man had long blond hair and glasses. Naruto had to swallow back a bit of bile as an image of Kabuto flashed in front of his eyes. The bee-using Ninja regained his footing and flew through a series of hand seals. A swarm of hornets made a beeline for Naruto. In an instant, Naruto was engulfed by the cloud of stinging insects.

"You Konoha shinobi are pathetic! An Iwa Academy student could defeat you!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself!" Naruto shouted as he completed his Substitution with one of his Shadow Clones. Naruto fell in next to a Shadow Clone and began the process of creating a Rasengan.

"The Rasengan! That…that is one of the techniques of the Yellow Flash!"

Naruto grinned as he charged. It was an honor to be connected to the Fourth Hokage. There was a very large part of Naruto that wanted to shout about how he was going to surpass the legendary Namikaze Minato. However, Naruto had no idea how skilled his opponent was or the extent of his jutsu library. Naruto's Rasengan connected and a cloud of smoke and sawdust clouded Naruto's vision.

"Shit! He substituted," Naruto cursed. "Plan B boys!"

* * *

"Kaiten!" Hinata yelled again as she deflected several hundred bee stingers. She was worried about running low on chakra. Six Heavenly Spins was her maximum. '_I've already used two. I have to conserve my chakra,'_ Hinata thought.

"The girl is a Hyūga! These brats knew we were coming!" Suzumebachi growled.

"If this becomes a taijutsu battle, we're dead," Kurobachi said in a low voice. He had fought against Hyūga in the Third Great Shinobi War. Jūken was not a taijutsu style one forgot.

"We have advantages in range, numbers, and chakra capacity," Suzumebachi said arrogantly. Visions of presenting a Hyūga to the Tsuchikage dance in her head.

"Plan B boys!" Naruto's voice echoed through the forest. Suzumebachi didn't even have time to bite out a curse before nearly two dozen Shadow Clones appeared all around her. The Clones threw several braces of shuriken and kunai, but these were easily dodged.

It took Suzumebachi a heartbeat to realize the true intention of the Clones. They were acting as a wedge and separating Suzumebachi from her brothers. The Clones were above-average in taijutsu and actually challenging her!

'_I will not be defeated by _clones!' Suzumebachi raged.

"Get away from our girlfriend, bitch!" One of the clones spat at Suzumebachi.

"That's it!" Suzumebachi roared. "Doton: Ganchūsō!"

A small forest of stone spires erupted from the ground. The Shadow Clones were impaled by the Earth Release technique and dispelled. Suzumebachi hoped that the memories of the Clones' painful death would throw the creator off guard.

"You are in range of my divination," Suzumebachi heard the Hyūga say in a quiet voice. Then, her world exploded into pain.

* * *

"Shino! Things are going to hell in a hand basket! The Boss and Hinata-chan are fighting the Kamizuru," the Clone shouted while waving his arms excitedly.

The Aburame did not respond, but calmly removed the flare from his equipment pouch. Shino launched the flare into the air.

"I have signaled for the reinforcements the Hokage provided for this mission," Shino assured the Clone.

"How long will it take? I mean, there's only three enemy ninja now but what if the rest of the clan shows up? Will our backup arrive in time? What about…" the clone blathered away in a panic.

Shino fought the urge to groan. Naruto's energy was tiring in the best of circumstances. The Shadow Clones had none of Naruto's limited restraint. "We are trained shinobi. Remain calm," Shino stated firmly. After a moment, he realized he was talking to a panicked Shadow Clone. Once again, he fought the urge to groan. "I have tagged Hinata-san and Naruto-san. I can easily track them."

The Clone immediately began checking itself for one of Shino's Kikai bugs. Shino finally gave into his urge and groaned.

"What was that about?" The Clone asked, but there was no reply. Shino was already sprinting to where Naruto and Hinata were fighting.

* * *

"Yo, Dog-breath! The Boss and Hinata-chan are fighting the Kamizuru," Naruto's Shadow Clone reported.

"What? You mean those Iwa bug users the Hokage told us about?" Kiba asked over Akamaru's growls.

"Yeah, them," the clone said while nodding.

"Come on Akamaru! We've got to bail out Hinata and Naruto," Kiba shouted and dashed off into the forest. Akamaru barked and ran ahead of his human partner. The Clone, having no further purpose, dispelled itself.

* * *

Naruto directed several clones to keep up the pressure on the blond bug user. The Iwa shinobi was a mid-range to long-range fighter and could barely compete with Naruto in taijutsu. Unfortunately, Naruto's opponent had a lot of explosive tags.

'_I've got to keep him busy in taijutsu. If he can't use his bees or tags, I can win this,' _Naruto thought to himself.

"I'm going to present your head to Tsuchikage-sama, bastard son of the Yellow Flash!" Jibachi screamed.

"TIME OUT!" Naruto yelled back. Jibachi and Naruto's Shadow Clones all froze. "You think that's possible?"

Jibachi nearly tripped over his own feet in surprise. "What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Do you really think I could be the _son_ of Namikaze Minato?" Naruto asked. Jibachi saw the hope shining in the boy's eyes and wanted to vomit.

"Why would you _want_ to be related to _him?_" Jibachi asked in disgust.

"I'm from Konoha, duh! Gah, did the Yondaime kill all the smart people from Iwa in the last war?" Naruto countered and rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Did you forget what that _monster_ did to my village? How can you not realize why we hate him?"

"How can you not realize I can Substitute with my Shadow Clones?" Naruto suddenly asked from behind Jibachi. The Iwa shinobi whirled around in time to see Naruto slam a Rasengan into his chest. Naruto couldn't look at the catastrophic damage. Granted, there wasn't much left to look at.

'_Hinata-chan is far more important than him. I have to help her,'_ Naruto thought quickly as he substituted with another one of his Shadow Clones.

"Protection of the Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms!" Hinata cried out. Naruto watched as Hinata fired what could only be described as Chakra needles from her hands. Hinata's jutsu was incredibly accurate and was knocking bees from the sky.

"Suzumebachi, we have to fall back," Kurobachi shouted as he dispelled a Shadow Clone by stabbing it in the throat with a kunai. He cast a glance over to his heavily wounded sister. The Hyūga had hit Suzumebachi at least two dozen times. Kurobachi was thankful his sister was alive, much less struggling to stand.

"No, I refuse to dishonor…" Suzumebachi started to say before being cut off by a massive swarm of Kikai bugs. The Aburame Symbiotic Insects engulfed the Iwa Kunoichi.

"Surrender or my allies will drain your comrade of all chakra," Shino said calmly as he emerged from the underbrush. Kurobachi nearly blanched at the menace in the young man's voice.

Kurobachi cast a single glance over his shoulder. The terrain around him was rocky and grew rockier as it came to the cliff. There could be no surrender. Not to Konoha.

"You loved our clan, Suzumebachi. I know what you would want," Kurobachi said as he started to back away from the three Konoha ninja. The Yondaime Hokage lookalike was standing next to one of the Shadow Clones from the veritable army he had summoned to create another Rasengan. The young Hyūga woman had slipped into a stance Kurobachi did not recognize. However, it was the Aburame that terrified him the most. He simply stood there and held the Sword of Damocles over his sister's head.

"Goodbye, nee-chan," Kurobachi said apologetically and fell backwards off the cliff.

"Holy crap!" Naruto yelled as he rushed forward.

"He met his end as a shinobi," Shino stated as he walked to where Naruto was standing. Naruto didn't respond and was struck by a thought of Haku and Zabuza. He shook the memories from his head and nodded at Shino.

Kiba burst from the woods and immediately approached Shino. "Is everyone okay? Did we win?"

"We're fine, Kiba-kun," Hinata said while trying to catch her breath.

"That's good," Kiba breathed out his relief. "Hey Naruto, I've got to ask. How many Shadow Clones did you actually make?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno? Eighty? I mean, only a few took part in the fight. I think there's a dozen out there still looking for the Bikōchū."

Shino's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. He had always known Naruto had exceptional chakra capacity.

'_Eight Shadow Clones would kill most ninja, but eighty? That should be impossible. But…Naruto-san likely views the 'impossible' simply as another goal to be achieved,'_ Shino thought. A second thought struck Shino as he watched Naruto interact with Kiba and Hinata.

"Don't worry about missing this fight, Kiba. We're all safe. Heck, you and Akamaru are the only ones not exhausted. If the rest of that clan is out there, we're going to need you to be ready to go," Naruto said in an attempt to placate the boisterous Inuzuka.

'_He may have the makings of a leader after all,'_ Shino mentally commented.

"And Hinata-chan…" Naruto whispered as he turned towards the Hyūga heiress. "You were awesome!"

Shino shook his head as he heard Hinata squeak out a happy 'eek'. The girl turned bright red as Naruto launched into a lengthy retelling of the battle.

'_Naruto-san may have the potential, but he's most definitely a diamond in the rough,'_ Shino thought in amusement as he made his way towards the Bug Prison holding the Kamizuru. He hoped Kiba was up to the task of keeping Hinata conscious.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Here's Chapter 9! I hope you enjoyed it! I know it was a bit lighter on the comedy side of things, but since this fic is based off a Shonen anime, I have a face punching quota to meet! :D

Also, I have a poll up on my profile. Please vote!

Thanks again for the incredible response!


	10. Chapter 10

'_Ramen,'_ Naruto thought sadly as he chewed. _'I wish I had Ramen.'_

Team Eight and Naruto were sitting in a tree well away from the Kamizuru's expected angle of attack. The Konoha Shinobi were taking a moment to eat a meal. Unfortunately, they could not use any fire. The risk of giving away their position to the Kamizuru was far too great. So, the Gennin were chewing on ration bars.

It was a famous joke in Konoha that if Ibiki couldn't break someone, the next step was to feed the prisoner ration bars.

"Naruto-san, have any of your Shadow Clones dispelled?" Shino asked.

"Nah, I've still got all of them out there. That means no sight of either those Iwa bastards or the Bikōchū," Naruto whispered. He wasn't sure why he was whispering. He had five squads of Shadow Clones patrolling the area and the team had Hinata's Byakugan. The area was quiet.

"Keep us informed," Shino stated.

"I will, but it could be more than just my Shadow Clones," Naruto responded.

"What do you mean, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked. She was grateful to have something to take her attention off the foul-tasting bar.

"Well…I kinda set some surprises for our Kamizuru buddies. Some variants on some of my old pranks," Naruto admitted, but his voice was uneasy.

"Smart move, Naruto," Kiba said approvingly. Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Thanks, it just doesn't feel right using some of the setups I used to get laughs out of people back in Konoha to, hopefully, kill Iwa nin," Naruto voiced his uneasiness.

Team Eight nodded mirthlessly. They had all killed before. It was an inevitable fact of their lives as shinobi. However, none of the children truly relished the thought of the mass scale killing their current situation required.

This was only their second war, after all. However, Orochimaru's Invasion had barely lasted a day. Naruto and Team Eight had been on edge and fighting for three days now.

"We should move soon. The Kamizuru are likely using their insects to search for us," Shino stated. Hinata was about to support Shino's idea when a loud slap shattered the silence of the tree.

"I'm an _idiot_!" Naruto growled as he pulled his palm away from his face. "We're fighting guys who use bugs! I'm an underling of Gama Oyabin!"

"Who?" Kiba asked while silently agreeing that, yes, Naruto was an idiot at times.

"Gamabunta! The Boss Toad! I've got my name on the contract right next to the Yondaime!" Naruto explained excitedly.

"Toads?" Shino asked in a small and distant voice. Naruto didn't recognize Shino's distress and continued.

"The toads!" Naruto shouted, and once again, did not realize Shino's growing distress. "I mean, with all the bugs we'll be seeing, it'll be like an all you can eat buffet for the Toads! This might get me out of trouble with Gama Oyabin for accidentally summoning his kids when I was fighting Orochimaru!"

"Good idea, Naruto!" Kiba growled excitedly as he pounded his right fist into his left palm. "That'll really turn the tables on those Iwa bastards!"

Shino suddenly groaned and nearly fell out of the tree. Hinata caught her teammate before Shino could fall off the branch.

"Are you alright, Shino-kun?"

"Yes, Hinata-san," Shino responded neutrally. He turned his attention to Naruto. "Naruto-san, if you summon the…toads…I ask that you speak with them."

"About what? I mean, they are definitely going to kick ass!" Naruto questioned Shino.

Shino took a moment to compose himself before speaking again. "Naruto-san, toads are voracious insectivores. I am…" the Aburame heir paused, "concerned that they may consume the Bikōchū in addition to the Kamizuru insects."

"Oh…" Naruto verbalized his realization. "And we don't want your bugs caught in the buffet. I'll talk to Gama Oyabin about this."

Naruto leapt down from his perch and closed his eyes. He wasn't looking forward to this part of summoning the Boss Toad.

'_Listen Furball, I'll never forgive you for anything. Your little rant in the hospital was just the latest bullshit you've pulled. But I know that you're a creature that loves destruction. Give me a bit of chakra and you'll get some destruction,'_ Naruto thought a bit darkly.

The Kyūbi did not respond, but Naruto felt the familiar and somewhat unwelcome sensation of the demon's chakra entering his system. Naruto bit his thumb and went through the hand-seals necessary for the Summoning jutsu. The familiar charred seal spread across the ground as Naruto brought his hand down to the ground. There was a massive puff of smoke, followed by a quiet, feminine eep.

"Hinata! Why did…" Kiba groaned in annoyance that his female teammate would faint so easily. Naruto really hadn't done anything that impressive, had he?

'_Wait…Hinata didn't faint…'_ Kiba thought quickly. He turned to his left and saw that Shino was lying on the ground, unconscious. "Did Shino just faint?"

Hinata looked away from the slowly dissipating chakra-smoke. "He…did. Why would he do that?"

"**GAKI!"** A voice boomed through the forest. Kiba and Hinata stared in awe at the figure that had materialized from the cloud.

"H-hello Gama Oyabin!" Naruto shouted nervously as he stood shakily on the Boss Toad's head.

"**I can't believe you summoned me to…"** Gamabunta was about to rage about Naruto summoning to another god-forsaken forest, but the wind shifted and he caught the fourth most wonderful scent in the world. **"an all you can eat buffet! You are the best subordinate I've had in a long time!"**

"Thank you, Gama Oyabin!" Naruto shouted as he tried to balance on the Boss Toad's head. "Uh, about the whole 'all-you-can-eat' thing…"

"**What is it gaki? Don't tell me you decided to prank **_**me**_**. I'd stomp you flat if you ever thought of pulling something like that!"** Gamabunta roared.

"I would never prank you, boss!" Naruto promised. "We need your help to fight the Kamizuru."

"**Kamizuru, eh gaki?" **Gamabunta asked. Naruto nodded vigorously. **"Well, that changes things…I think the Great Toad Sages will want to speak with you. Sorry about this, gaki."**

"Sorry about whaaaa!" Naruto tried to ask, but it quickly transitioned into a startled yelp as Gamabunta's tongue wrapped around him and dragged the young man into the Boss Toad's mouth.

Gamabunta heard Hinata's panicked cry and looked down. **"Don't worry 'bout your boyfriend, Missy. I'm just taking him back to Mount My****ō****bok****ū the fastest way possible."**

Hinata could only nod nervously at the legendary leader of the Toads. _'Is it really_ necessary _to swallow Naruto-kun?' _"P-please return with N-Naruto-kun as q-quickly as possible. We, we will need his help against the Kamizuru."

"**You'll get more than his help. The Toads will be coming back with us. Don't die on me! I'll need **_**someone**_** to teach my sorry excuse for a subordinate how to respect his bosses!"** Gamabunta said with authority. The conscious members of Team Eight could only nod at Gamabunta as the great toad disappeared.

* * *

Meihui and Kenta sat in their room and reviewed their notes. The historical information they had uncovered would be a valuable source of national pride. Uzumaki Naruto would be a powerful symbol…

If they could find a way to convince Naruto to leave Konoha without invoking the wrath of Tsunade.

"We cannot leave until Naruto returns," Kenta said after a moment. Meihui looked up and stared at the old samurai in confusion. "We cannot leave because I promised Uzumaki-sama that I would introduce him to the basics of Samurai swordsmanship. _Kenjutsu,_ as shinobi call it."

"Why would you do that? I thought we would discuss any attempts to endear Naruto-sama to Whirlpool," Meihui said sternly.

"I am old," Kenta admitted after a minute. It was the simplest way to explain it. "My life…my life will one day come to an end. As a warrior, there is only one path to immortality. I want to pass my techniques and style to Uzumaki Naruto. That boy…"

"What about Uzumaki-sama?"

Kenta leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "He'll reshape the world, whether as our Daimyo or a shinobi. My name would live for _generations_."

Meihui gave the old samurai an odd look. The samurai chuckled as he _felt_ the confused glare fall upon him. "Don't mind me, child. I'm just an old man indulging in a moment of vanity."

"Quite." Meihui didn't know how to respond. So, she decided to change the subject slightly. "How will training Naruto in swordsmanship help our cause?"

"I will only have time to teach Naruto the barest of foundational techniques. If he wishes to learn more, he will likely seek me out," Kenta said as he poured himself some tea. "Unfortunately, he will not _physically_ seek me out. He'll probably try to set up an exchange of letters. We may have to find another way to get Naruto to visit Whirlpool."

"We have not failed, Kenta," Meihui pointed out.

"I never said we did. We've actually accomplished a great deal more than I thought we would. I only expected to observe Uzumaki-sama, not make contact with him," Kenta agreed.

Meihui nodded and the room fell silent for several moments. "Do you believe that? That Uzumaki-sama will change the world?"

"I have never believed in something so completely," Kenta replied. "That boy…You can practically feel the weight of destiny on his shoulders."

* * *

"GHAGH! BLAKABAH!" Naruto yelled incoherently as Gamabunta opened his mouth. The boss toad unceremoniously spat the latest toad summoner out of his mouth. Naruto landed on the edge of a large table and skidded a few feet…before falling in a simmering pot. "**Yeaoooow!"**

Naruto loudly swallowed a bit of the contents of the pot and found himself experiencing one of the strangest cravings of his life. He was wishing for a ration bar.

"Ah, I might have put too much spice in that batch," an elderly woman's voice said from beside Naruto. The young ninja, who had landed on his back, opened his eyes and stared at the toad who had spoken.

"Just a little," Naruto said facetiously as he mimed a bit with his arms.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed it, Naruto-chan. Oh, where are my manners? I am Shima. Welcome to Mount Myōbokū!" Shima played the role of the gracious hostess very well.

"Uh, glad to be here," Naruto struggled to regain his composure.

"Yes, it is been so long since we've had guests! Are you here for sage training?" Shima asked.

"Sage training?" Naruto followed up Shima's question with one of his own. Sage training sounded _awesome_.

"**My subordinate isn't ready for sage training yet. We're here to get some back-up. The entire Kamizuru clan is about to come down on his team,"** Gamabunta explained.

Shima tapped her chin. "They are hornet-wielders, are they not?" Gamabunta and Naruto nodded. "Dear! Could you get my coat? We are going shopping."

'_Shopping?_'Naruto thought in confusion.

"For what dear?" Another toad asked from a nearby door.

"It seems Naruto-chan and his friends have run into the Kamizuru," Shima explained.

The newly arrived toad was just as old as Shima. Naruto was surprised to see that the green toad had hair. That was odd. "The Kamizuru, eh? Does that mean we'll finally have that tempura again?"

"I don't know what I'll do with you, Fukusaku-kun! Always thinking of food!" Shima huffed.

Naruto had always heard the term 'old married couple', but had never _seen_ what it was actually like. It was kind of funny. He was about to ask about when they were leaving when Gamabunta, who had somehow snuck off, returned with two other enormous toads.

"We need to get back to my friends!" Naruto shouted to interrupt the brewing argument.

Fukusaku and Shima nodded at each other. "Naruto-boy is right," Fukusaku stated simply.

"Well, we can't let his friends be hurt now can we?" Shima asked rhetorically.

"Uh, before we go…" Naruto's tone was thankful, but he was being cautious. "Shino, one of my friends, is an Aburame. You all know about their bugs right?"

Fukusaku nodded. "Of course! We have fought alongside Konoha long enough to recognize the Aburame's allies."

"**That and they've been bred to taste like crap,"** Gamahiro, a large toad with two swords strapped to his back, mentioned offhandedly.

"I don't think Shino would want to hear you insult his bugs," Naruto said indignantly.

"Actually, the Aburame would probably be thrilled to learn their breeding attempts were successful. If the Destruction Bugs taste horrible to predators, they are less likely to get eaten," Shima explained.

"Oh, cool," Naruto made a thoughtful noise. "So, can we go and save my girlfriend and my buddies from Iwa now?"

"Dear, did you grab my coat?" Shima asked moments before Naruto, Fukusaku, Gamahiro, Gamabunta, Shima and Gamaken disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"Naruto-kun's clones are engaging the Kamizuru. The clones are trying to herd them toward traps," Hinata reported as she watched the running battles with her Byakugan.

"Naruto's managed to get a few of them," Kiba reported dryly as he sniffed at the air. "Akamaru and I can smell fresh blood on the wind."

"Unfortunately, Naruto-san can only buy us time. As impressive as his strategy is, we are all lacking in the resources to confront the Kamizuru directly," Shino stated.

Kiba patted Akamaru on the side. "We really need to get moving. Those bastards are eventually going to whittle down Naruto's clones. Besides." The Inuzuka flashed a feral grin as he spoke. "We're not only a tracking team. We're an ambush team. All of our jutsu are designed for quickly overwhelming our enemies."

"Kiba-kun is right," Hinata agreed. "We have the advantage if we stick to ambushes. I'm sure Naruto-kun will return soon with the toads."

Shino felt a shiver down his spine at the mention of the toads. He was now firmly convinced he had acute ranidaphobia. In other words, toads scared him out of his mind. "Y-yes, and I lit the beacon Tsunade-sama provided us. Konoha should also be sending reinforcements."

"So, it's settled, let's go fight a war," Kiba said with forced bravado.

"Before we go, Kiba-san," Shino interrupted. "Do not forget we have a prisoner to guard."

"Ah crap, I forgot." Kiba pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, who can we leave to watch the Iwa bitch?"

"This is a dilemma," Shino reluctantly agreed.

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. "I think we have a solution."

Team Eight turned to face Hinata and saw as a trio of Naruto-clones emerged from the underbrush. One was holding his hands in an attempted sphere. "Uh, Shino, got anything to hold a bug?"

Shino nodded. "I'll need to make sure it is the Bikōchū." The talking clone nodded. Shino approached and peered into Naruto's hands.

"It is the Bikōchū," Shino said in disbelief. "How did you find it?"

The lead clone rubbed the back of his head after handing the Bikōchū to Shino. The Aburame heir placed the legendary bug into a secure carrying case. "Well, it's a long story, but the short version is that we had just led a bunch of Kamizuru into one of the traps. As we were rummaging through their gear for intel, we saw the Bikōchū come out of this gap in a tree. There was this _really_ large bird, though."

"What does a bird have to do with anything?" Kiba hissed. He didn't mean to sound hostile, but dang it! They were in a _war-zone_ and Naruto's clone was telling the story with its creator's usual vigor.

And volume.

"The bird tried to eat the Bikōchū, duh," a clone in the back rolled his eyes as he answered Kiba.

"Yeah, like my bro is saying," the lead clone cut in. "This huge bird tries to swoop in all 'raaagh'!"

The clones were giving a 'full body retelling' and gesturing wildly. At one point during the explanation, a clone flapped his arms as if they were wings. The lead clone continued the retelling. "So, it got really close to the Bikōchū and I punched it in the face."

"You punched a bird in the face?" Hinata asked in surprise.

"It gets better! We don't have to eat ration bars now!" the clone exclaimed. The third clone, who hadn't spoken, held up a very, very large bird.

"Clones…" Shino began. "We need someone to stay and guard the prisoner. Also…do you know ways to prepare food without drawing attention to your location?"

"Maybe smoke it with a cover? I'll think of something while I'm guarding the prisoner," the lead clone pondered. Team Eight nodded in agreement and headed out to the war.

* * *

Kamizuru Toshiro was growing increasingly frustrated. His clan was being defeated by teenagers and clones of teenagers. Unless Konoha had sent a group of geniuses to humiliate the Kamizuru. He growled at the thought.

'_I wouldn't put it past those condescending assholes of the Leaf,'_ Toshiro thought angrily.

The Iwa Chūnin used his chakra to climb one of the many nearby trees to get a better look around. The attacks by the blond-haired clones had slackened a bit. Toshiro didn't like the sudden change in the pattern. It implied an impending attack. Toshiro and his two distant cousins prepared themselves for the attack. They waited for what seemed like an hour before deciding the attack wasn't coming.

"If there is an attack, it's not happening here," Toshiro growled. "Let's move out."

A muffled scream drew Toshiro's attention to the rear of the formation. "Renji!" Toshiro called out for his cousin, but he couldn't see anything over the thick underbrush. That fact told Toshiro everything he needed to know.

Renji was gone.

"Renji?" Yasu cried out for her brother. She did not have any time to wait for a response as a Konoha Genin appeared in the midst of the two shocked Kamizuru shinobi.

Toshiro recovered his wits, but it was not fast enough. A young Konoha ninja and a white dog flickered into view directly in front of the Kamizuru ninja. The younger man shouted "Gatsuga!"

It was the last sight Toshiro ever witnessed. The Konoha team slipped away into the forest before clan reinforcements arrived. The Kamizuru didn't even find enough of Toshiro to bury.

Roughly a half-kilometer away, an exhausted Team Eight had practically collapsed. "W-We can't keep this up much longer," Kiba admitted.

"Hinata, what is the maximum range of your Byakugan in your current state?" Shino asked.

The Hyūga heiress closed her eyes to reduce the strain on her nearly-overtaxed Bloodline Limit. "If I push myself, I could possibly see close to four miles."

"How much strain would it put on you?" Kiba asked his friend in concern.

"Right now…a great deal…"

Kiba growled at Hinata's declaration. "Where the hell is Naruto?"

* * *

Kurobachi was recovering in the main Kamizuru camp. He could not believe how four _teenagers_ who were likely only Genin had completely outclassed the elite of his entire clan!

'_Our grandfather…the Shodai Tsuchikage…I am glad he is dead so that he could not know the shame of our defeat here...'_

As if the universe wished to accentuate the clan's crushing defeat, a series of crashes knocked Kurobachi from his cot. The injured shinobi stumbled out of the tent. He took in the horrific sights unfolding all around him and nearly wept. Three massive summoned toads and the blond Yondaime Hokage wannabe were running rampant in the Kamizuru camp.

"I was just supposed to reconnoiter the camp, you know," a smooth, but bored voice said to Kurobachi's left. "However, my favorite knucklehead seems to have decided to end this little war on his own."

Kurobachi turned to face the source of the voice. _'I didn't think our situation could be any worse…now…Hatake Kakashi has entered the fray…'_

"I'll be willing to accept your surrender and keep Gamabunta-sama and my student from wiping you out…" Kakashi suggested with a grin. "It'd be a shame for a clan with such good taste in porn to be wiped out."

'_It isn't enough to beat us…They want to steal our porn too?'_ Kurobachi mourned. This was easily the darkest day in the clan's history.

The Aburame Clan, Naruto, Kakashi, and the other Konoha reinforcements arrived at Team Eight's position shortly after securing the last of the Kamizuru. Gamahiro and a large number of Aburame and Naruto Shadow Clones remained at the camp to guard the captured Iwa Shinobi.

"Uh, sorry that took so long…Evidently Time-Space Ninjutsu can be sketchy…" Naruto apologized. "You guys…You all aren't hurt are you?"

Shino shook his head. "I am not severely injured, but my hives have been depleted."

"I'm…I'm exhausted," Hinata admitted. "My chakra reserves are very low."

Akamaru simply flopped down on his belly and huffed. Kiba laughed weakly, "What he said."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask. Team Eight and Naruto had performed incredibly well. They had succeeded in their primary mission and responded to a fluid and dangerous situation like seasoned operators. The Copy-nin was looking forward to their debriefing. Kakashi only gave cursory attention to the young ninja as they explained where they were holding their few Kamizuru prisoners and the Bikōchū. The Jonin, and oft-rumored Hokage Candidate, was thinking of how he was going to word his Official Recommendation for Promotion.

The kids certainly had earned it.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Those Edo Tensei lessons have paid off! You can thank NostalgicWithLove and kitsunescythe for their interest in this fic. NostalgicWithLove really got me to buckle down and finish the chapter. kitsunescythe helped keep me pushing to get this beta'd and uploaded! Thanks to my awesome beta, ChewieCookies for everything.

And now, a fic rec: NostalgicWithLove has written a new take on Rose Tiger's "Prince Naruto" challenge called The Orange Daimyo of Uzushiogakure. Go read it. It is awesome!

Hopefully, the next update won't take _**Three**_** years**.

**Unrelated to this fic note:** Just a reminder! I have a poll on my profile about which fic from my 2014 Plot ADHD Asylum will be a full fic. I'm also going to flesh out a few points about that poll.

1. **REVIEWS COUNT AS VOTES**

2. I also count PMs as separate votes.

3. I've decided to take the top 3.

I could take the top 4 if there continues to be a tie for 3rd place.

Next up on the update queue looks like Dichotomy of the Soul with Chains of the Kindred and A Matter of Destiny having substantial progress achieved on them!


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